Book23 Flashcards
drama
prose or verse composition to be performed by actors; play; exciting and unusual situation
thrall
slave; bondage; slavery; Ex. Her beauty held him in thrall; CF. enthrall
threadbare
worn through till the threads show; shabby and poor; hackneyed; Ex. threadbare excuses
thrifty
careful about money; economical; N. thrift
thrive
prosper; flourish
throes
violent anguish
throng
crowd (of people or things); V.
throttle
strangle; regulate the speed of with a throttle; N: valve that regulates the flow; CF. throat ?
strangle
kill by choking or suffocating; suppress
thwart
block or hinder; baffle; frustrate
tightwad
miser; excessively frugal person
tiller
handle used to move boat’s rudder (to steer)
timbre
quality of a musical tone produced by a musical instrument (which distinguishes it from others of the same pitch)
timidity
lack of self-confidence or courage
timorous
fearful; timid; demonstrating fear
tipple
drink (alcoholic beverages) frequently; N: alcoholic drink
tirade
long angry denunciatory speech; diatribe; harangue; extended scolding; denunciation
tardy
slow; sluggish; not on time; late; Ex. tardy arrival
titanic
gigantic; N. titan
tithe
tax of one-tenth (contributed to a church); V: pay a tithe
titillate
tickle; excite pleasantly; Ex. not to titillate the audience but to enlighten it
tickle
touch (the body) lightly so as to cause laughter; please
title
name (of a book, film, etc.); mark of rank; formal appellation as of rank or office (such as Lord or General); right or claim to possession; championship; Ex. title as head of the family; Ex. title to the estate
titter
nervous giggle; nervous laugh; V.
titular
of a title; in name only; nominal; having the title of an office without the obligations; Ex. titular head of the company
toady
servile flatterer; yes man; sycophant; V: be a toady to; fawn
toga
Roman outer robe
tome
large volume; book
handsome
large in quantity; generous; Ex. handsome reward
tonsure
shaving of the head especially by person entering religious orders; V.
topography
physical features of a region (such as the shape and height); CF. topo-: place
torpedo
underwater explosive apparatus; V.
torpor
lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy; ADJ. torpid: lethargic; lazy; inactive; (of an animal) dormant; hibernating
torque
twisting force; force producing rotation
torrent
rushing stream; flood; Ex. The rain fell in torrents.
torrid
(of weather) hot or scorching; passionate; Ex. torrid love affairs
torso
trunk of statue with head and limbs missing; human trunk
trunk
main wooden stem of a tree; human body excluding the head and limbs; torso; prehensile nose of an elephant
tortuous
winding; full of curves; Ex. tortuous mountain road
totter
shake or move unsteadily; sway as if about to fall
touchstone
stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion; standard
touchy
oversensitive; easily offended; irasible; delicate; needing delicate handling; Ex. touchy situation
tout
promote or publicize (one’s goods or service); praise excessively (as a form of advertisement); CF. advertise
toxic
poisonous; N. toxicity
tract
propaganda pamphlet (esp. by a religious or political group); expanse of land; region of indefinite size; system of related organs; Ex. digestive tract
tractable
docile; easily managed; (of something) easily changed or molded; N. tractability
traduce
expose to slander
trajectory
path taken by a projectile; Ex. trajectory of a bullet
elevation
elevated position; altitude; height; flat upright side of a building; angle made by pointing a gun; Ex. The elevation of her style is much admired; Ex. front elevation of the house
tranquillity
calmness; peace
transcendent
exceeding ordinary limits; superior; surpassing; V. transcend: go beyond; exceed; surpass; N. transcendancy
transcendental
going beyond common thought or ideas; impossible to understand by practical experiences or practices; known only by studying thoughts or intuition; OP. empirical; CF. transcendentalism
transcribe
copy; write a copy of; N. transcription
transgression
violation of a law; sin; V. transgress: go beyond (a limit); violate; do wrong
transient
staying for a short time; momentary; temporary; N: one that is transient
transition
going from one state of action to another
transitory
transient; impermanent; fleeting; N. transitoriness
translucent
partly transparent
transmute
transform; change; convert to something different
transparent
permitting light to pass through freely; easily detected; obvious; clear; Ex. transparent lie
transpire
(of a fact) become known; be revealed; happen; give off (watery waste matter) through pores
transport
strong emotion; rapture; Ex. in a transport/transports of; V: move to strong emotion; enrapture
trappings
outward decorations; ornaments (as an outward sign of rank)
traumatic
(of an experience) deeply shocking; pertaining to an injury caused by violence; N. trauma: serious wound; emotional shock that causes lasting psychological damage
travail
strenuous work; toil; painful labor; labor of childbirth
traverse
go through or across
travesty
copy or example of something that completely misrepresents the true nature of the real thing; comical parody or imitation; treatment aimed at making something appear ridiculous; Ex. travesty of justice; OP. paragon
treatise
article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly
trek
travel; journey; V: make a long difficult journey
tremor
trembling; slight quiver (as of the earth or from nervous agitation)
tremulous
trembling; wavering
trenchant
cutting; incisive; keen
furrow
long shallow trench made by a plow; deep wrinkle in the skin; V.
trepidation
fear; nervous apprehension
tribulation
suffering; ordeal; distress; trial
tribunal
court of justice
tribune
official of ancient Rome elected by the plebians to protect their rights; protector of the people
tribute
tax levied by a ruler; payment made by one nation to another in acknowledgment of submission; mark of respect (such as praise or gift); Ex. pay tribute to
trident
three-pronged spear
prong
pointed projecting part
trifling
trivial; unimportant
trifle
something of little importance or value; small amount; Ex. a trifle; V: treat without seriousness; flirt
trigger
set off; start
trilogy
group of three related works (connected by a shared subject but each complete in itself)
trinket
knickknack; bauble; cheap jewelry
trite
hackneyed; commonplace
trivia
trifles; unimportant matters
troth
pledge of good faith especially in betrothal; betrothal; Ex. by my troth
trough
long narrow container for feeding farm animals; lowest point (of a wave, business cycle, etc.); long narrow depression as between waves
truculence
aggressiveness; ferocity; ADJ. truculent: aggressive; pugnacious; fierce
truism
self-evident truth
truncate
cut the top off; shorten
tryst
meeting arranged by lovers; arrangement between lovers to meet
tumid
(of a part of the body) swollen; distended; bombastic; pompous
overblown
inflated; exaggerated
tumult
commotion of a great crowd; riot; noise; uproar; ADJ. tumultuous: noisy and disorderly
tundra
rolling treeless plain in Siberia and arctic North America
rolling
(of land) rising and falling in long gentle slopes; happening continuously by stages; Ex. rolling devolution of power to local governments
turbid
(of a liquid) having the sediment disturbed; muddy; thick
turbulence
state of violent agitation; ADJ. turbulent: violently agitated or disturbed
tureen
deep dish for serving soup
turgid
swollen; distended (as from liquid)
turmoil
extreme confusion; great commotion and confusion; Ex. throw the country into turmoil
turncoat
traitor
turpitude
depravity; baseness; Ex. moral turpitude
tutelage
guardianship; training; function of a tutor; instruction
tutelary
protective; pertaining to a guardianship; Ex. tutelary deities
tycoon
wealthy and powerful businessperson; wealthy leader; magnate; Ex. business tycoon
typhoon
tropical hurricane or cyclone
tyranny
oppression; cruel government; ADJ. tyrannical: of a tyrant or tyranny; despotic; V. tyrannize: treat tyrannically; oppress
tyro
beginner; novice
ubiquitous
being everywhere; omnipresent; N. ubiquity
wade
walk through a substance, such as water, that impedes movement
ulterior
intentionally hidden; beyond what is evident; situated beyond; unstated and often questionable; Ex. ulterior motive
ultimate
final; not susceptible to further analysis; fundamental; Ex. The sun is the ultimate source of energy.
eventual
happening at last as a result; Ex. eventual victory
ultimatum
last demand; last warning; last statement of conditions that must be met; Ex. They have ignored our ultimatum.
umbrage
resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult; Ex. take umbrage at his rudeness
unaccountable
unexplicable; impossible to account for; unreasonable or mysterious
unanimity
complete agreement; ADJ. unanimous
unassailable
not open to attack; impregnable; not subject to question
unassuaged
unsatisfied; not soothed
unassuming
modest; Ex. the champion’s unassuming manner
unbridled
violent; uncontrolled; Ex. unbridled rage/greed
bridle
harness fitted about a horse’s head (used to restrain); curb; check; V: put a bridle on; control or restrain; show anger
uncanny
strange; mysterious; Ex. uncanny knack
knack
special talent; art
unconscionable
unscrupulous; not guided by conscience; excessive; beyond reason; Ex. unconscionable demand
uncouth
boorish; clumsy in speech or behavior; outlandish
unction
the act of anointing with oil; Ex. extreme unction
unctuous
oily; bland; insincerely suave
underlying
lying below; fundamental
undermine
weaken gradually; sap; dig a mine beneath
underscore
underline; emphasize
undulating
moving with a wavelike motion; V. undulate; CF. und: wave
unearth
dig up; discover (facts) by careful searching; Ex. He unearthed some secrets about her; OP. conceal
unearthly
not earthly; supernatural; weird; ghostly
weird
eerie; strange; unnatural
unequivocal
plain; clear; obvious
unerringly
infallibly; ADJ. unerring: making no mistakes
unexceptionable
entirely acceptable; not offering any basis for criticism
unfaltering
steadfast; firm; not changing
unfeigned
genuine; real
unfetter
liberate; free from chains; V. unfetter
hostage
person who is kept as a prisoner by an enemy so that the other side will do what the enemy demands
unfledged
immature; not having the feathers necessary to fly; CF. fledgling
unfrock
defrock; strip a priest or minister of church authority
disbar
make (a lawyer) leave the bar or the legal profession
debar
bar; forbid; exclude; Ex. debarred from jury services
bar
railing in a courtroom; legal profession; vertical line dividing a staff into equal measures; Ex. prisoner at the bar; V: shut in or out with bars; forbid; exclude; CF. barrister
bastard
illegitimate child
ungainly
(of someone) awkward in movement; clumsy; (of something) unwieldy; Ex. ungainly dancer/instrument
unguent
ointment
uniformity
sameness; monotony; ADJ. uniform: the same all over
unilateral
one-sided; involving or affecting only one side; Ex. unilateral declaration
unimpeachable
that cannot be impeached; beyond doubt or question; blameless and exemplary
uninhibited
unrepressed; free in behavior and feelings
unintimating
unfrightening
unique
without an equal; single in kind
unison
unity of pitch (in musical performance); complete accord; Ex. The choir sang in unison.
choir
group of people who sing together (esp. during religious services); place for choir
universal
characterizing or affecting all; general; present everywhere; of the universe; cosmic; Ex. universal agreement; Ex. a subject of universal interest
unkempt
disheveled; uncared for in appearance; not combed; CF. comb
unmitigated
(of something bad) not moderated; unrelieved or immoderate; without qualification; absolute; Ex. unmitigated disaster
unobtrusive
inconspicuous; not blatant
unprecedented
having no previous example; novel; unparalleled
unprepossessing
unattractive
prepossessing
attractive; CF. preoccupying ?
unravel
disentangle; solve
unrequited
not requited; not reciprocated; Ex. unrequited love
unruly
disobedient; lawless; difficult to control
unsavory
distasteful; disagreeable; morally offensive; Ex. unsavory activity/reputation
unscathed
unharmed; Ex. escape the accident unscathed
unseemly
unbecoming; not proper in behavior; indecent; Ex. leave with unseemly haste
unsightly
ugly; unpleasant to look at
unsullied
untarnished; CF. sully
untenable
(of a position, esp. in an argument) indefensible; not able to be maintained
untoward
unexpected and adverse; unfortunate or unlucky; Ex. untoward encounter
unwarranted
unjustified; having no justification; groundless; baseless; undeserved
unwieldy
awkward (to carry or move); cumbersome; unmanageable
unwitting
not knowing; unaware; unintentional; Ex. She was their unwitting accomplice; Ex. unwitting insult; CF. wit: know
unwonted
unaccustomed; unusual; Ex. He arrived with unwonted punctuality.
upbraid
reprimand; severely scold
braid
plait; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; N: braided segment (as of hair)
uproarious
marked by commotion or uproar; very noisy (esp. with laughter); hilarious; causing loud laughter; extremely funny
uproar
noisy confusion
upshot
outcome; final result
urbane
suave; refined in manner; elegant
urchin
mischievous child (usually a boy); CF. urchin: hedgehog; CF. porcupine: pig with spikes ?; CF. sea urchin
ursine
bearlike; pertaining to a bear
usurp
seize another’s power or rank (without legal authority); supplant; appropriate; N. usurpation; CF. take for one’s own use
usury
lending money at illegal high rates of interest
utopia
ideal place, state, or society; ADJ. utopian
Shangri-la
imaginary remote paradise on earth; CF. Lost Horizon
uxorious
excessively submissive or devoted to one’s wife; CF. uxor: wife
vacillate
waver (in opinion); fluctuate; sway to and fro; N. vacillation
vacuous
empty; lacking in ideas; inane; stupid; Ex. vacuous expression; N. vacuity
vagabond
wanderer (without a permanent home); tramp
tramp
walk with a heavy step; travel on foot; N: vagrant; one who travels aimlessly about; long walk; sound of heavy walking
trample
step heavily with the feet; crush under the feet
