Book4 Flashcards
cantata
story set to music to be sung by a chorus (shorter than an oratorio)
canter
slow gallop; V. CF. trot
canto
division of a long poem
canvass
determine or seek opinions, votes, etc.; go through (a region) to solicit votes or orders; conduct a survey; N.
capacious
spacious
capacity
mental or physical ability; role; position or duty; ability to accommodate; Ex. in my capacity as president
capillary
having a very fine bore; resembling a hair; fine and slender; Ex. capillary attraction; N: very fine hairlike tube; CF. capillarity
capitulate
surrender; give up all resistance
caprice
whim; sudden change of mind without any real cause
capricious
unpredictable; fickle
caption
title; chapter heading; text under illustration
captious
faultfinding; too critical
carafe
glass water bottle; decanter
carapace
shell covering the back (of a turtle, tortoise, crab, etc.)
carat(karat)
unit of weight for precious stones; measure of the purity of gold
carcinogenic
causing cancer; N. carcinogen
cardinal
chief; most important; N: priest; cardinal number: number that shows quantity rather thatn order
cardiologist
doctor specializing in ailments of the heart
careen
lurch; sway from side to side; move with irregular swinging movement; stagger
career
rush wildly; go at full speed
sway
swing from side to side; influence (someone) to change one’s opinion; N.
caricature
distortion; burlesque
carillon
a set of bells (often in a tower) capable of being played
carnage
destruction of life; slaughter; killing of large numbers of people or animals
carnal
fleshly; sensual; concerning the desires of the body
carnivorous
meat-eating; N. carnivore; CF. herbivore
carousal
drunken revel; V. carouse
carping
petty criticism; fault-finding; fretful complaining; quibble
carrion
rotting flesh of a dead body; CF. vulture
cartographer
map-maker
cascade
small waterfall
caste
one of the hereditary classes in Hindu society; social stratification; prestige
castigation
punishment; severe criticism or disapproval
casualty
serious or fatal accident; person killed or wounded in an accident or battle
casual
happening by chance; irregular; occasional; informal; showing or feeling little interest; Ex. casual reader/labor/remark
cataclysm
deluge; upheaval; earthquake; violent and sudden event or change
catalyst
agent which brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged; CF. catalysis
catapult
slingshot; hurling machine; V: fire from catapult
hurl
throw forcefully; shout out violently
cataract
great waterfall; eye abnormality (causing a gradual loss of eyesight)
catastrophe
calamity ; disaster
catcall
shout of disapproval or displeasure (made at the theater or a sports match); boo; V.
catechism
book for religious instruction in question-and-answer form; religious instruction by question and answer; V. catechize
categorical
without exceptions; made without any doubt in mind; unqualified; absolute
qualify
reach a necessary standard; limit the meaning of something stated
catharsis
purging or cleansing of any passage of the body; purging and weakening of strong emotions as a result of experiencing a dramatic work of art
cathartic
purgative; medicine that causes the bowels to empty; ADJ.
catholic
(of likings and interests) universal; general; broad; including many different parts; wide-ranging liberal; Ex. catholic opinions/tastes
caucus
private meeting of a group of people in a political party to select officers or determine policy; CF. the Caucus club of Boston
caulk(calk)
make watertight (by blocking up cracks as in a ship)
causal
implying a cause-and-effect relationship; N. causality
caustic
burning; corrosive; able to burn by chemical action; sarcastically biting; (of remarks) intended to hurt; bitter; harmful; OP. harmless
cauterize
burn (a wound or snakebite, etc.) with hot iron or caustic substance to stop bleeding and prevent infection
cavalcade
procession of riders or horse-drawn carriages; parade; CF. cavalry
cavalier
casual and offhand; arrogant; N: knight
cavil
quibble; make frivolous objections; find fault unnecessarily
cede
yield (title or territory) to (esp. after losing a war); surrender formally; N. cession
celerity
speed; rapidity
celestial
heavenly
hereafter
life after death
afterlife
life after death; later part of one’s life
celibate
abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried; N. celibacy
censor
(in ancient Rome) overseer of morals (also taking the census); person who eliminates inappropriate matter; V.
censorious
severely critical
censure
blame; criticize; express strong disapproval; N: severe criticism; strong disapproval
centaur
mythical figure, half man and half horse
centigrade
denoting a widely used temperature scale (basically same as Celsius)
centrifugal
radiating; departing from the center
centrifuge
machine that separates substances by whirling them
centripetal
tending toward the center
centurion
Roman army officer (commanding a company of about 100 soldiers)
cerebral
pertaining to the brain or intellect; intellectual rather than emotional; CF. cerebrum
cerebration
thought; working of the brain
ceremonious
marked by formality; extremely formal and polite; CF. ceremony: conventional social courtesy
unceremonious
not done politely without due formalities
certitude
certainty
cessation
stoppage
cession
yielding to another; ceding
chafe
warm by rubbing; make sore by rubbing; N.
chaff
worthless products of an endeavor; husk(outer seed cover) separated from grain; Ex. separate the wheat from the chaff
chaffing
bantering; joking
chagrin
annoyance and disappointment; vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride)
chalice
goblet; consecrated cup
chameleon
lizard that changes color in different situations
champion
support militantly; fight for; N: person who fights for or supports strongly (a principle, movement, person, etc.)
championship
position of champion; defense or support; competition held to determine a champion
chaotic
in utter disorder
charisma
divine gift; great popular charm or appeal; magnetism
charlatan
quack; pretender to knowledge (esp. in medicine)
chary
cautious; unwilling to take risks; sparing or restrained about giving; OP. bold
chase
ornament a metal surface by indenting; follow rapidly to catch
chasm
abyss; very deep crack
chassis
framework and working parts of an automobile; framework to which components are attached
chaste
morally pure; virginal; abstaining from illicit sexual acts; modest; simple (of a style of writing); not highly decorated; austere
chasten
discipline; punish in order to correct; CF. castigate
chastise
punish as by beating; criticize severely
chauvinist
blindly devoted patriot; zealous adherent of a group, cause, or sex; ADJ. chauvinistic; CF. chauvinism; Nicolas Chauvin
check
stop motion; curb or restrain
checkered (chequered)
marked by great changes in fortune; with many changes of fortuene; CF. checked: having a pattern of squares
cherubic
angelic; innocent-looking; N. cherub; CF. seraph: winged angel of the highest order
chicanery
trickery; deception
chide
scold; rebuke (someone who has done wrong)
chimerical
fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; N. chimera: unreal fancy; fire-breathing female creature
chisel
swindle or cheat; N: wedgelike tool for cutting
chip
lose a small piece from the surface or edge; N: small piece broken off something; CF. French fry; Potato chip/crisp
chivalrous
courteous; faithful; brave; N. chivalry
choleric
hot-tempered; bad-tempered; irritable; easily angered; CF. cholera
choreography
art of representing dances in written symbols; arrangement of dances
chore
daily domestic task (such as cleaning, cooking, and shopping); unpleasant task
chortle
chuckle with delight; N.
chuckle
laugh quietly
chronic
long established as a disease
chronicle
report; record (in chronological order)
churlish
boorish; rude; N. churl: boor; yahoo
ciliated
having minute hairs; CF. cilium; CF. cilia: eyelash
cipher
nonentity; worthless person or thing; zero; secret code; V.
circlet
small ring; band of gold, silver, jewel, etc. (worn on the head, arms, or neck as decoration)
circuitous
roundabout
circuit
closed circular line around an area; circumference; regularly repeated journey from place to place
circumlocution
indirect or roundabout expression (by using an uncecessarily large number of words esp. when trying to avoid answering a difficult question directly)
circumscribe
limit; confine; draw a line around
circumspect
prudent; cautious; acting after careful thought
circumvent
outwit; defeat by behaving more cleverly; outsmart; baffle; avoid; get around
cistern
reservoir or water tank
citadel
fortress
cite
quote; commend; Ex. cited for bravery in an official record
civil
having to do with citizens; not military or religious; courteous and polite; Ex. married in a civil ceremony; Ex. civil strife/disorder/law; N. civility; CF. civic
clairvoyant
having foresight; fortuneteller; N. clairvoyance
hindsight
understanding the nature of an event after it has actually happened
clamber
climb by crawling with difficulties; scramble
clamor
loud continous noise; continuous demand or complaint made by a large number of people; V: make a clamor; express (a demand) continually and loudly; ADJ. clamorous
clandestine
secret
chaperon
older person who accompanies and supervises a young unmarried woman
clangor
loud resounding noise; sound of repeated clanging
clapper
striker (tongue) of a bell
clap
strike the palms of the hands together with a sudden explosive sound; come together suddenly with a sharp sound; put or send promptly; Ex. clap the thief in jail; N: clapping; loud or explosive sound; CF. applause
clarion
shrill, trumpetlike sound; kind of trumpet used in former times
claustrophobia
fear of being locked in
clavicle
collarbone
scrimmage
disorderly fight between two or more people
cleave
split or sever; cling to; remain faithful to; N. cleavage; ADJ. cloven
cleft
N: split
clemency
disposition to be lenient in deciding punishments; mildness as of the weather; ADJ. clement
cliché
phrase dulled in meaning by repetition; platitude; ADJ. clichéd
bromide
platitude; chemical compound used to calm excitement
clientele
body of customers
climactic
relating to the highest point; N. climax; CF. climatic
clime
climate
clique
small exclusive group of people
cloister
monastery or convent
clout
great influence (especially political or social); hard blow with fist
cloying
distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental; V. cloy: become unpleasant through too much sweetness or excess
coagulate
congeal; thicken; clot; N. coagulant
clot
half-solid lump formed from a liquid (or blood); V.
pudding
hot sweet dish
coalesce
combine; fuse; N. coalescence
coalition
partnership; league; union of separate political parties
coda
concluding section of a musical or literary composition
coddle
treat gently; indulge excessively; pamper; mollycoddle; baby; cook in water just below boiling point; Ex. coddled eggs
codicil
supplement to the body of a will; later addition to a will
codify
arrange (laws or rules) as a code; classify; N. code: system of words used instead of ordinary writing; collection of laws, rules, established social customs
coercion
use of force to get someone to object; compelling; V. coerce
coeval
living at the same time as; existing during the same period of time; contemporary; of the same age
cog
tooth projecting from a wheel
cogent
convincing
cogitate
think over; ponder
cognate
having a common origin; related linguistically; allied by blood; similar or akin in nature; Ex. cognate languages; N.
cognitive
having to do with knowing or perceiving related to the mental processes; N. cognition: the mental process of knowing
cognizance
knowledge; ADJ. cognizant; having knowledge; aware
cohabit
live together
cohere
stick together
cohesion
tendency to keep together
cohorts
group of people who share some common quality; armed band; a group of between 300 and 600 soldiers under one commander (in the ancient Rome)
coiffure
hairstyle
coin
make coins; invent or fabricate (a word or phrase); N. coinage: word or phrase recently invented
coincidence
the chance occurrence, at the same time, of two or more seemingly connected events; V. coincide: happen at the same time; be in agreement; CF. coincident; CF. coincidental
colander
utensil with perforated bottom used for straining
collaborate
work together; cooperate treasonably with the enemy
collage
work of art put together from fragments
scrap
small bit or fragment; discarded waste material; fight; Ex. a scrap of paper/cloth; V: break into parts for disposal; discard as worthless; fight; quarrel
scraps
leftover food
scrappy
quarrelsome
collate
examine and compare in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order (the sheets of a book before they are bound)
collateral
security given for loan; ADJ: secondary; descended from the same person but through different sons or daughters
collation
a light meal; collating
colloquial
pertaining to conversational or common speech; informal; N. colloquialism: colloquial expression
colloquy
informal discussion; conversation
collusion
conspiring in a fraudulent scheme to cheat or deceive others; V. collude
colossal
huge
colossus
gigantic statue; person or thing of great size or importance
comatose
in a coma; extremely sleepy
coma
deep prolonged unconsciousness caused by disease, poison, or a severe blow
combustible
easily burned; N. CF. combustion
comely
attractive; agreeable; having a pleasing appearance
homely
not good-looking; unattractive
comestible
something fit to be eaten
comeuppance
deserts; well-deserved punishment or misfortune; rebuke
deserts
what someone deserves
comity
courtesy; civility; Ex. comity of nations
commandeer
take (private property) for military use without needing permission or giving payment; draft for military purposes
