Book15 Flashcards
marred
damaged; disfigured; V. mar: spoil; disfigure
marshal
put in order; guide ceremoniously to the correct place; Ex. marshal the children into the museum; N: military officer; official
enlist
(cause to) join the armed forces; obtain (help, sympathy, or support)
marsupial
one of a family of mammals that nurse their offspring in a pouch(pocket of skin or leather); CF. kangaroo, opossum, wombat
martial
warlike; of war; Ex. martial art/law
cadet
student at a military school
martinet
strict disciplinarian; person who demands total obedience to rules and orders; CF. Jean Martinet
martyr
one who voluntarily suffers death for his or her religion or cause; great sufferer; Ex. martyr to his rheumatism
masochist
person who enjoys his own pain; CF. masochism
masticate
chew
materialism
preoccupation with physical comforts and things; excessive regard for worldly concerns (rather than spiritual matters)
maternal
motherly; N. maternity: motherhood
matriarch
woman who rules a family or larger social group
matriculate
enroll (in college or graduate school); CF. matrix
matrix
point of origin; array of numbers or algebraic symbols; mold or die; Ex. the matrix of Western civilization
maudlin
effusively sentimental
sentimental
swayed by sentiment; appealing to the sentiments
maul
handle roughly; batter; injure by beating; Ex. mauled by his overexcited fans; N: heavy long-handled hammer
mausoleum
monumental tomb; large stately tomb; CF. Mausolos
mauve
pale purple
maverick
rebel; nonconformist (in a group)
mawkish
mushy(sentimental) and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; excessively and objectionably sentimental
maxim
proverb; truth pithily stated
mayhem
injury to body; crime of willfully maiming or crippling a person; violent disorder; Ex. mayhem in the zoo; CF. maim
meager
scanty; inadequate
mealymouthed
indirect in speech (when something unpleasant must be said); hypocritical; evasive
meander
wind or turn in its course; follow a winding or turning course; move aimlessly and idly
meddlesome
interfering; V. meddle: interfere
mediate
settle a dispute through the services of an outsider; act as an intermediary; produce by mediating; Ex. mediate a cease-fire
intermediary
intermediate; acting as a mediator; N: mediator; go-between
mediocre
ordinary; commonplace; neither good nor bad
meditation
reflection; thought; V. meditate
medium
element that is a creature’s natural environment; nutrient setting in which microorganisms are cultivated; appropriate occupation or means of expression; channel of communication; compromise; middle position between extremes; intervening substance through which something else is transmitted
medley
mixture
meek
submissive; patient and long-suffering
suitor
man who is courting a woman
megalomania
mania for doing grandiose things; mental disorder characterized by delusions of wealth, power, or importance
melancholy
gloomy; morose; blue; N. ADJ. melancholic; CF. melancholia
blue
gloomy; depressed
melee
fight
mellifluous
(of words or a voice) sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious; having a pleasant tune
memento
token; reminder of the past; keepsake; Ex. memento of your visit
memorialize
commemorate
memorial
something, such as a monument or holiday, intended to honor the memory of a person or event; ADJ: commemorative
menagerie
collection of wild animals on exhibition; zoo
mendacious
lying; habitually dishonest; N. mendacity
mendicant
beggar; ADJ: living as a beggar
alms
money or goods given to the poor
menial
suitable for servants; lowly; mean; N: someone who does menial work (esp. servant in a house)
mentor
counselor; teacher
mercantile
concerning trade or merchants
mercenary
motivated solely by money or gain; N.
mercurial
capricious; quick and changing; fickle; containing the element mercury; Ex. mercurial temper; CF. mood
quicksilver
mercury
meretricious
flashy; tawdry; attractive on the surface but of no real value; Ex. metericious argument/jewel; CF. prostitute
vulgar
of the common people; deficient in refinement; not refined; coarse; Ex. vulgar display of wealth; N. vulgarism: vulgarity; crudely indecent word; CF. vulgarian: vulgar person; boor; lout
merger
combination (of two business corporations); act of merging
mesmerize
hypnotize; N. mesmerism; CF. Franz Mesmer
metallurgical
pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores; N. metallurgy: science that deals with extracting metals from ores
metamorphosis
change of form; Ex. metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly; V. metamorphose: change by metamorphosis
metaphor
implied comparison; CF. simile
soar
rise or fly high in the air; Ex. The rocket soared into the sky.
metaphysical
pertaining to speculative philosophy; of metaphysics; N. metaphysics: branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality
mete
measure; distribute; administer; Ex. mete out justice/punishment
meteoric
like a meteor; swift; momentarily brilliant; Ex. meteoric rise to fame; N. meteor
methodical
systematic; N. method: systematic method of procedure
meticulous
excessively careful (with great attention to detail); painstaking; scrupulous
metropolis
large city
mettle
courage (to continue bravely in spite of difficulties); spirit; ADJ. mettlesome
miasma
swamp gas; heavy vaporous atmosphere often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence; noxious atmosphere or influence
swamp
wetland; marsh; V: flood; overwhelm; drench in with liquid
microcosm
small representative world; world in miniature; Ex. microcosm of English society
miniature
small model; small painting; ADJ: small
migrant
changing its habitat; wandering; Ex. migrant birds/workers; N: one that migrates
migratory
wandering; V. migrate: move from one region and settle in another; move periodically from one region to another
milieu
social environment; means of expression; Ex. feel out of one’s milieu; Ex. His proper milieu is watercolor.
militant
combative; bellicose; N.
militate
work against; Ex. militate against the chances of promotion; CF. serve as a soldier
militia
army composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers
millennium
thousand-year period (as in the New Testament); hoped-for period of happiness and prosperity
mimicry
imitation
mime
pantomime(act without dialogue); mimicry; mimer; V: mimic; pantomime
minatory
menacing; threatening
mincing
affectedly dainty(delicate); V. mince: cut (esp. meat) into very small pieces; walk with exaggerated primness; walk in an unnatural way, taking little short steps; Ex. The actor minced across the stage; CF. mincemeat; CF. mincer
dainty
delicate; delicately beautiful; fastidious; not easy to please; Ex. dainty movement/dress
exquisite
delicate; very finely made; extremely beautiful; Ex. exquisite piece of jewelry
choice
delicate; of very fine quality
minion
servile dependent; obsequious follower
minuscule(miniscule)
extremely small
minute
extremely small; CF. minutes: official record of the proceedings at a meeting
minutiae
petty or trivial details; CF. minutia
mirage
unreal reflection; optical illusion
mire
entangle; stick in swampy ground; stick or sink in mire; N: bog; deep mud; Ex. sucked deeper into the mire
mirth
merriment; laughter
misadventure
mischance; ill luck; Ex. death by misadventure
misanthrope
one who hates mankind; misanthropist
vile
despicable; unpleasant; disgusting; Ex. vile slander
misapprehension
error; misunderstanding; V. misapprehend
miscellany
mixture of writings on various subjects; collection of various items
miscellaneous
made up of a variety of parts
mischance
ill luck
misconstrue
interpret incorrectly; misinterpret; misjudge
miscreant
wretch; wrongdoer; villain; Ex. kindness to the miscreant; CF. believe
wretch
miserable person; bad or despicable person; ADJ. wretched: miserable; bad; contemptible; vile
misdemeanor
minor crime; misdeed; wrongdoing
misconduct
immoral behavior; bad management; V.
miserly
stingy; mean
misgivings
doubts
mishap
unfortunate accident
misnomer
wrong or improper name; incorrect designation
misogamy
hatred of marriage
misogynist
hater of woman; CF. misogyny
missile
object to be thrown or projected
missive
letter; written statement; CF. sent
mite
very small object or insect-like creature; small coin
mitigate
appease; moderate; make or become less in force or intensity
mnemonic
pertaining to memory; assisting the memory; N: device, such as as formula or rhyme, used as a mnemonic aid
mobile
movable; not fixed; N. mobility
mock
ridicule; deride; imitate often in derision
mode
prevailing style; current fashion; manner; way of doing something; Ex. in the latest mode; Ex. simple mode of life
modicum
limited quantity; small amount; Ex. He does not have a modicum of sense; CF. moderate
modish
fashionable; conforming to the current fashion
modulate
tone down in intensity; change the intensity or tone of; regulate; change from one musical key to another; Ex. modulate from E to G
mogul
powerful person; Ex. oil moguls; CF. Mogol, Moghul; CF. Mongolian
molecule
the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the properties of that substance
mollify
soothe an angry person
mollycoddle
pamper; coddle; baby; indulge excessively
molt(moult)
periodically shed or cast off hairs or feathers (for replacement by a new growth)
molten
melted; Ex. molten lava
momentous
very important; N. moment; CF. momentary
momentum
quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus; moving force
monarchy
government under a single ruler
monastic
related to monks or monasteries; removed from worldly concerns
monetary
pertaining to money
monochromatic
having only one color
monochrome
painting in only one color; ADJ.
monogram
design composed of one or more initials of a name; V.
monograph
scholarly article
monolithic
solidly uniform; unchangeable; unyielding; N. monolith: large block of stone
monotheism
belief in one God
monotony
sameness leading to boredom; monotonousness; ADJ. monotonous; CF. monotone
monumental
massive; impressively large; built as a monument
moodiness
fits of depression or gloom; ADJ. moody: given to changeable moods; subject to periods of depression; gloomy CF. mood: state of mind or emotion
moratorium
legal delay of payment or action; Ex. declare moratorium on the building of new houses
morbid
given to unwholesome or unhealthy thought; moody; characteristic of disease; Ex. morbid curiosity; N. morbidity; CF. disease
mordant
biting; sarcastic; stinging; (apprec.) incisive; cutting; Ex. mordant pen/wit
mores
conventions; moral standards; moral customs
moribund
dying; at the point of death; CF. death
morose
ill-humored; sullen; sullenly melancholy
mortician
undertaker; CF. death
undertaker
funeral director; one whose business is to arrange burials
mortify
humiliate by embarassing excessively; shame; punish the flesh; discipline (one’s body) by self-denial; Ex. mortified by her blunder; Ex. mortify the flesh; CF. cause to die
mosaic
picture made of small colorful inlaid tiles; ADJ.
mote
small speck (esp. of dust)
speck
small piece or mark; Ex. speck of dust in the eye
motif
theme; recurrent thematic element in a musical or literary work; single or repeated pattern; figure
motility
ability to move spontaneously; ADJ. motile: moving spontaneously
motley
multi-colored (as of a garment worn by a jester); mixed; heterogeneous; CF. jester: one who jests (as a paid fool at medieval courts)
motto
brief statement used to express a principle
mottled
blotched in coloring; spotted; Ex. mottled face; V. mottle: mark with blotches of different colors
blotch
spot; blot; CF. blot+botch
blemish
mar; spoil the beauty or perfection of; N: flaw or defect (that spoils perfection); Ex. blemishes in the crystal; CF. unblemished
mountebank
charlatan; boastful pretender
peddle
travel about selling (wares); CF. foot
muddle
confuse; mix up confusedly; N: state of confusion
muggy
(of weather) warm and damp
mulct
defraud a person of something; swindle; Ex. mulct the boy of his legacy
multifarious
varied; greatly diversified; Ex. multifarious activities
multiform
having many forms
multilingual
having many languages; fluent in several languages
multiplicity
state of being numerous or multiple; large number; Ex. multiplicity of details; ADJ. multiple: of more than one element
mundane
worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday; of the ordinary; Ex. mundane existence; CF. world
munificent
very generous in giving; Ex. munificent benefactor; N. munificience
mural
wall painting
murky
dark and gloomy; thick with fog; vague; Ex. murky night/fog; N. murk: partial or complete darkness; gloom
muse
ponder at length; N: source of inspiration (esp. of a poet)
musky
having the odor of musk; N. musk: odorous substance secreted by an Asian deer
muster
gather; assemble (troops); Ex. muster up one’s strength for the ordeal; N.
musty
stale (in odor or taste); spoiled by age; CF. moist
mutablility
ability to change in form; fickleness; ADJ. mutable: able to change; fickle; CF. mutate; CF. mutant
muted
silent; muffled; toned down; Ex. muted traffic noise
mute
silent; without speech; not pronounced; unable to speak; N: one who is incapable of speech; V: soften the sound, color, shade of
mutilate
maim; injure lastingly; deprive of a limb or an essential part
mutinous
unruly; rebellious; Ex. mutinous teenagers; N. mutiny: open rebellion; CF. mutineer
myopic
nearsighted; lacking foresight; N. myopia
myriad
very large number; ADJ. CF. ten thousand
nadir
lowest point; point on the celestial sphere diametrically opposite the zenith
naivet'e(naivety)
quality of being unsophisticated; simplicity; artlessness; gullibility; ADJ. naive(na"ive): ingenuous; lacking worldliness; simple; credulous
narcissist
conceited person; N. narcissism; CF. narcissus
narrative
related to telling a story; N: narrated account; story; V. narrate: tell (a story); CF. narration
nascent
incipient; coming into being or existence; Ex. nascent ability in music
natation
swimming
natty
neatly or smartly dressed; dapper; smart; Ex. natty dresser
smart
intelligent; quick and energetic; fashionable; Ex. smart pace/restaurant; V: cause or feel a sharp pain; N: smarting pain
nauseate
cause to become sick; fill with disgust; fill nausea
nausea
feeling of sickness and desire to vomit; disgust; CF. seasickness
nauseous
causing nausea; feeling nausea
nautical
pertaining to ships or navigation
navigable
(of a body of water) wide and deep enough to allow ships to pass through; (of a ship or aircraft) able to be steered
nebulous
vague; hazy; cloudy; of a nebula; Ex. nebulous proposal
