C (II) Flashcards
collateral (n.)
security given for loan
The sum you wish to borrow is so large that it must be secured by collateral.
colloquial (adj.)
pertaining to conversational or common speech
Some of the new, less formal reading passages on the SAT have a colloquial tone that is intended to make them more appealing to students.
collusion (n.)
conspiring in a fraudulent scheme
The swindlers were found guilty of collusion.
colossal (adj.)
huge
Radio City Music Hall has a colossal stage.
comatose (adj.)
in a coma; extremely sleepy
The long-winded orator soon had his audience in a comatose state.
combustible (adj.)
easily burned
After the recent outbreak of fires in private homes, the fire commissioner ordered that all combustible materials be kept in safe containers.
comely (adj.)
attractive; agreeable
I would rather have a poor and comely wife than a rich and homely one.
comeuppance (n.)
rebuke; deserts
After his earlier rudeness, we were delighted to see him get his comeuppance.
commandeer (v.)
to draft for military purposes; to take for public use
The policeman commandeered the first car that approached and ordered the driver to go to the nearest hospital.
commemorate (v.)
to honor the memory of
The statue of the Minute Man commemorates the valiant soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War.
commensurate (adj.)
equal in extent
Your reward will be commensurate with your effort.
commiserate (v.)
to feel or express pity or sympathy for
Her friends commiserated with the widow.
commodious (adj.)
spacious and comfortable
After sleeping in small roadside cabins, they found their hotel suite commodious.
communal (adj.)
held in common; of a group of people
When they were divorced, they had trouble dividing their communal property.
compact (n.)
agreement; contract
The signers of the Mayflower Compact were establishing a form of government.
compact (adj.)
tightly packed; firm; brief
His short, compact body was better suited to wrestling than to basketball.
comparable (adj.)
similar
People whose jobs are comparable in difficulty should receive comparable pay.
compatible (adj.)
harmonious; in harmony with
They were compatible neighbors, never quarreling over unimportant matters.
compelling (adj.)
overpowering; irresistible in effect
The prosecutor presented a well-reasoned case, but the defense attorney’s compelling arguments for leniency won over the jury.
compensatory (adj.)
making up for; repaying
Can a compensatory education program make up for the inadequate schooling he received in earlier years?
compile (v.)
to assemble; to gather; to accumulate
We planned compile a list of the word most frequently used on SAT examinations.
complacency (n.)
self-satisfaction; smugness
Full of complacency about his latest victories, he looked smugly at the row of trophies on his mantelpiece.
complaisant (adj.)
trying to please; obliging
Always ready to accede to his noble patron’s wishes, Mr. Collins was a complaisant, even obsequious, character.
complement (v.)
to complete; to consummate; to make perfect
The waiter recommended a glass of port to complement the cheese.
complementary (adj.)
serving to complete something
John and Lisa’s skills are complementary: he’s good at following a daily routine, while she’s great at improvising and handling emergencies.
compliance (n.)
readiness to yield; conformity in fulfilling requirements
Bullheaded Bill was not noted for easy compliance with the demands of others. As an architect, however, Bill recognized that his design for the new school had to be in compliance with the local building code.
compliant (adj.)
yielding
Because Joel usually give in and went along with whatever his friends desired, his mother worried that he might be too compliant.
complicity (n.)
participation; involvement
You cannot keep your complicity in this affair secret very long; you would be wise to admit your involvement immediately.
component (n.)
element; ingredient
I wish all the components of my stereo system were working at the same time.
composure (n.)
mental calmness
Even the latest work crisis failed to shake her composure.
compound (v.)
to combine; to constitute; to pay interest; to increase
The makers of the popular cold remedy compounded a nasal decongestant with an antihistamine.
comprehensive (adj.)
thorough; inclusive
This book provides a comprehensive review of verbal and math skills for the SAT.
compress (v.)
to close; to squeeze; to contract
She compressed the package under her arm.
comprise (v.)
to include; to consist of
If the District of Columbia were to be granted statehood, the United State of America would comprise fifty-one states, not just fifty.
compromise (v.)
to adjust or settle by making mutual concessions; endanger the interests or reputation of
Sometimes the presence of a neutral third party can help adversaries compromise their differences.
Unfortunately, you’re not neutral; therefore, your presence here compromises our chances of reaching an agreement.
compunction (n.)
remorse
The judge was especially severe in his sentencing because he felt that the criminal had shown no compunction for his heinous crime.
compute (v.)
to reckon; to calculate
He failed to compute the interest, so his bank balance was not accurate.
concave (adj.)
hollow
The back-packers found partial shelter from the storm by huddling against the concave wall of the cliff.
concede (v.)
to admit; to yield
Despite all the evidence Monica had assembled, Mark refused to concede that she was right.
conceit (n.)
vanity or self-love; whimsical idea; extravagant metaphor
Although Jack was smug and puffed up with conceit, he was an entertaining companion, always expressing himself in amusing conceits and witty turns of phrase.
concentric (adj.)
having a common center
The target was made of concentric circles.
conception (n.)
beginning; forming of an idea
At the first conception of the work, he was consulted.
concerted (adj.)
mutually agreed on; done together
All the Girl Scouts made a concerted effort to raise funds for their annual outing.
When the movie start appeared, his fans let out a concerted sigh.
concession (n.)
an act of yielding
Before they could reach an agreement, both sides had to make certain concessions.
conciliatory (adj.)
reconciling; soothing
She was still angry despite his conciliatory words.
concise (adj.)
brief and compact
When you define a new word, be concise: the shorter the definition, the easier it is to remember.
conclusive (adj.)
decisive; ending all debate
When the stolen books turned up in John’s locker, we finally had conclusive evidence of the identity of the mysterious thief.
concoct (v.)
to prepare by combining; to make up in concert
How did the inventive chef ever concoct such a strange dish?
concomitant (n.)
that which accompanies
Culture is not always a concomitant of wealth.
concord (n.)
harmony; agreement between people or things
Watching Tweedledum and Tweedlebee battle, Alice wondered at their lack of concord.
concur (v.)
to agree
Did you concur with the decision of the court or did you find it unfair?
concurrent (adj.)
happening at the same time
In America, the colonists were resisting the demands of the mother country; at the concurrent moment in France, the middle class was sowing the seeds of rebellion.
condemn (v.)
to censure; to sentence; to force or limit to a particular state
In My Cousin Vinnie. Vinnie’s fiancee condemned Vinnie for mishandling his cousin Tony’s defense.
If Vinnie didn’t do a better job defending Tony, the judge would condemn Tony to death, and Vinnie would be condemned to cleaning toilets for a living.
condense (v.)
to make more compact or dense; to shorten or abridge; to reduce into a denser form
If you squeeze a slice of Wonder Bread, taking out the extra air, you can condense it into a pellet the size of a sugar cube.
If you cut out the unnecessary words from your essay, you can condense it to a paragraph.
As the bathroom cooled down, the steam from the shower condensed into droplets of water.
condescend (v.)
to act conscious of descending to a lower level; to patronize
Though Jill had been a star softball player in college, when she played a pickup game at the park she never condescended to her less experienced teammates.
condiments (n.)
seasonings; spices
The chef seasoned the dish with so much garlic that we could hardly taste the other condiments.
condole (v.)
to express sympathetic sorrow
His friends gathered to condole with him over his loss.
condone (v.)
to overlook; to forgive; to give tacit approval; to excuse
Unlike the frail widow, who indulged her only son and condoned his minor offenses, the boy’s stern uncle did nothing but scold.
conducive (adj.)
contributive; tending to
Rest and proper diet are conducive to good health.
confidant (n.)
trusted friend
He had no confidants with whom he could discuss his problems at home.
confine (v.)
to shut in; to restrict
The terrorists had confined their prisoner in a small room.
However, they had not chained him to the wall or done anything else to confine his movements further.
confirm (v.)
to corroborate; to verify; to support
I have several witnesses who will confirm my account of what happened.
confiscate (v.)
to seize; to commandeer
The army confiscated all available supplies of uranium.
conflagration (n.)
great fire
In the conflagration that followed the 1906 earthquake, much of San Francisco was destroyed.
confluence (n.)
flowing together; crowd
They built the city at the confluence of two rivers.
conformity (n.)
harmony; agreement
In conformity with our rules and regulations, I am calling a meeting of our organization.
confound (v.)
to confuse; to puzzle
No mystery could confound Sherlock Holmes for long.
confrontation (n.)
act of facing someone or something; encounter, often hostile
Morris hoped to avoid any confrontations with his ex-wife, but he kept running into her at the health club.
How would you like to confront someone who can bench press 200 pounds?
congeal (v.)
to freeze; to coagulate
His blood congealed in his veins as he saw the dread monster rush toward him.
congenial (adj.)
pleasant; friendly
My father loved to go out for a meal with congenial companions.
congenital (adj.)
existing at birth
Were you born stupid, or did you just turn out this way? In other words, is your idiocy congenital or acquired?
Doctors are able to cure some congenital deformities such as cleft palates by performing operations on infants.
conglomeration (n.)
mass of material sticking together
In such a conglomeration of miscellaneous statistics, it was impossible to find a single area of analysis.
congruent (adj.)
in agreement; corresponding
In formulating a hypothesis, we must keep it congruent with what we know of the real world; it cannot disagree with our experience.
conjecture (v.)
to surmise; to guess
Although there was no official count, the organizers conjectured that more than 10,000 marchers took part in the March for Peace.
conjugal (adj.)
pertaining to marriage
Their dreams of conjugal bliss were shattered as soon as their temperaments clashed.
conjure (v.)
to summon a devil; to practice magic; to imagine or invent
Sorcerers conjure devils to appear.
Magicians conjure white rabbits out of hats.
Political candidates conjure up images of reformed cities and a world at peace.
connivance (n.)
assistance; pretense of ignorance of something wrong; permission to offend
With the connivance of his friends, he plotted to embarrass the teacher.
connoisseur (n.)
person competent to act as a judge of art, etc.; a lover of an art
She had developed into a connoisseur of fine china.
connotation (n.)
suggested or implied meaning of an expression
Foreigners frequently are unaware of the connotations of the words they use.
connubial (adj.)
pertaining to marriage or the matrimonial state
In his telegram, he wished the newlyweds a lifetime of connubial bliss.
conscientious (adj.)
scrupulous; careful
A conscientious editor, she checked every definition for its accuracy.
consecrate (v.)
to dedicate; to sanctify
We shall consecrate our lives to this noble purpose.
consensus (n.)
general agreement
Every time the garden club members had nearly reached a consensus about what to plant, Mistress Mary, quite contrary, disagreed.
consequential (adj.)
pompous; important; self-important
Convinced of his own importance, the actor strutted about the dressing room with a consequential air.
conservatory (n.)
school of the fine arts (especially music or drama)
A gifted violinist, Marya was selected to study at the conservatory.
consign (v.)
to deliver officially; to entrust to set apart
The court consigned the child to her paternal grandmother’s care.
consistency (n.)
absence of contradictions; dependability; uniformity; degree of thickness
Holmes judges puddings and explanations on their consistency: he liked his puddings without lumps and his explanations without improbabilities.
console (v.)
to lessen sadness or disappointment; give comfort
When her father died, Marius did his best to console Cosette.
consolidation (n.)
unification; process of becoming firmer or stronger
The recent consolidation of several small airlines into one major company had left observers of the industry wondering whether room still exists for the “little guy” in aviation.
consonance (n.)
harmony; agreement
His agitation seemed out of consonance with her usual calm.
consort (v.)
to associate with
We frequently judge people by the company with whom they consort.
conspicuous (adj.)
easily seen; noticeable; striking
Janet was conspicuous both for her red hair and for her height.
conspiracy (n.)
treacherous plot
Brutus and Cassius joined in the conspiracy to kill Julius Caesar.
constituent (n.)
supporter
The congressman received hundreds of letters from angry constituents after the Equal Rights Amendment failed to pass.
constraint (n.)
compulsion; repression of feelings
There was a feeling of constraint in the room because no one dared to criticize the speaker.
construe (v.)
to explain; to interpret
If I construe your remarks correctly, you disagree with the theory already advanced.
consummate (adj.)
complete
I have never seen anyone who makes as many stupid errors as you do; what a consummate idiot you are!
contagion (n.)
infection
Fearing contagion, they took great steps to prevent the spread of the disease.
contaminate (v.)
to pollute
The sewage system of the city so contaminated the water that swimming was forbidden.
contemporary (n.)
person belonging to the same period
Though Charlotte Bronte and George Eliot were contemporaries, the two novelists depicted their Victorian world in markedly different ways.
contempt (n.)
scorn; disdain
The heavyweight boxer looked on ordinary people with contempt, scorning them as weaklings who couldn’t hurt a fly.
We thought it was contemptible of him to be contemptuous of people for being weak.
contend (v.)
to struggle; to compete; to assert earnestly
Sociologist Harry Edwards contends that young black athletes are exploited by some college recruiters.
contention (n.)
claim; thesis
It is our contention that, if you follow our tactics, you will boost your score on the SAT.
contentious (adj.)
quarrelsome
Disagreeing violently with the referees’ ruling, the coach became so contentious that they threw him out of the game.
contest (v.)
to dispute
The defeated candidate attempted to contest the election results.
context (n.)
writings preceding and following the passage quoted
Because these lines are taken out of context, they do not convey the message the author intended.
contiguous (adj.)
adjacent to; touching upon
The two countries are contiguous for a few miles; then they are separated by the gulf.
continence (n.)
self-restraint; sexual chastity
At the convent, Connie vowed to lead a life of continence.
The question was, could Connie by content with always being continent?
contingent (adj.)
dependent on; conditional
Caroline’s father informed her that any raise in her allowance was contingent on the quality of her final grades.
contingent (n.)
group that makes up part of a gathering
The New York contingent of delegates at the Democratic National Convention was a boisterous, sometimes rowdy lot.
contortions (n.)
twisting; distortions
As the effects of the opiate wore away, the contortions of the patient became more violent and demonstrated how much pain she was enduring.
contraband (n, adj.)
illegal trade; smuggling
The Coast Guard tries to prevent traffic contraband goods.
contract (v.)
to compress or shrink; to make a pledge; to catch a disease
Warm metal expands; cold metal contracts.
contravene (v.)
to contradict; to oppose; to infringe on or transgress
Mr. Barrett did not expect his frail daughter Elizabeth to contravene his will by eloping with Robert Browning.
contrite (adj.)
penitent (=feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong)
Her contrite tears did not influence the judge when he imposed sentence.
contrived (adj.)
forced; artificial; not spontaneous
Feeling ill at ease with his new-in-laws, James made a few contrived attempts at conversation and then retreated into silence.
controvert (v.)
to oppose with arguments; to attempt to refute; to contradict
The witness’s testimony was so clear and her reputation for honesty so well-established that the defense attorney decided it was wiser to make no attempt to controvert what she said.
conundrum (n.)
riddle
During the long car ride, she invented conundrums to entertain the children.
convene (v.)
to assemble
Because much needed legislation had to be enacted, the governor ordered the legislature to convene in special session by January 15.
convention (n.)
social or moral custom; established practice
Flying in the face of convention, George Sand shocked society by taking lovers and wearing men’s clothes.
conventional (adj.)
ordinary; typical
His conventional upbringing left him unprepared for his wife’s eccentric family.
converge (v.)
to approach; to tend to meet; to come together
African-American men from all over the United States converged on Washington to take part in the historic Million Men march.
conversant (adj.)
familiar with
The lawyer is conversant with all the evidence.
converse (n.)
opposite
The inevitable converse of peace is not war but annihilation.
converse (v.)
to chat; to talk informally
Eva was all ears while Lulu and Lola conversed.
Wasn’t it rude of her to eavesdrop on their conversation?
convert (n.)
one who had adopted a different religion or opinion
On his trip to Japan, though the President spoke at length about the virtues of American automobiles, he made few converts to his beliefs.
convex (adj.)
curving outward
He polished the convex lens of his telescope.
conveyance (n.)
vehicle; transfer
During the transit strike, commuters used various kinds of conveyances.
conviction (n.)
judgment that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief
Even her conviction for murder did not shake Peter’s conviction that Harriet was innocent of the crime.
convivial (adj.)
festive; gay; characterized by joviality
The convivial celebrators of the victory sang their college songs.
convoke (v.)
to call together
Congress was convoked at the outbreak of the emergency.
convoluted (adj.)
coiled around; involved; intricate
The new tax regulations are so convoluted that even accountants have trouble following their twists turns.
copious (adj.)
plentiful
She had copious reasons for rejecting the proposal.
coquette (n.)
flirt
Because she refused to give him an answer to his proposal of marriage, he called her a coquette.
cordial (adj.)
gracious; heartfelt
Our hosts greeted us at the airport with a cordial welcome and a hearty hug.
cordon (n.)
extends line of men or fortifications to prevent access or egress (=the action of going out of or leaving a place)
The police cordon was so tight that the criminals could not leave the area.
cornucopia (n.)
horn overflowing with fruit and grain; symbol of abundance
The encyclopedia salesman claimed the new edition was a veritable cornucopia of information, an inexhaustible source of knowledge for the entire family.
corollary (n.)
consequence; accompaniment
Brotherly love is a complex emotion, with sibling rivalry its natural corollary.
coronation (n.)
ceremony of crowning a queen or king
When the witches told Macbeth he would be king, they failed to warn him he would lose his crown soon after his coronation.
corporeal (adj.)
bodily; material
The doctor had no patience with spiritual matters: his job was to attend to his patients’ corporeal problems, not to minister to their souls.
corpulent (adj.)
very fat
The corpulent man resolved to reduce.
correlation (n.)
mutual relationship
He sought to determine the correlation that existed between ability in algebra and ability to interpret reading exercises.
corroborate (v.)
to confirm; to support
Though Huck was quite willing to corroborate Tom’s story, Aunt Polly knew better than to believe either of them.
corrode (v.)
to destroy by chemical action
The girders supporting the bridge corroded so gradually that no one suspected any danger until the bridge suddenly collapsed.
corrosive (adj.)
eating away by chemicals or disease
Stainless steel is able to withstand the effects of corrosive chemicals.
corrugated (adj.)
wrinkled; ridged
She wished she could smooth away the wrinkles from his corrugated brow.
cosmic (adj.)
pertaining to the universe; vast
Cosmic rays derive their name from the fact that they bombard the earth’s atmosphere from outer space.
cosmopolitan (adj.)
sophisticated
Her years in the capitol had transformed her in to a cosmopolitan young woman highly aware of international affairs.
coterie (n.)
group that meet socially; select circle
After his book had been published, he was invited to join the literary coterie that lunched daily at the hotel.
countenance (v.)
to approve; to tolerate
He refused to countenance such rude behavior on their part.
countenance (n.)
face
When Jose saw his newborn daughter, a proud smile spread across his countenance.
countermand (v.)
to cancel; to revoke
The general countermanded the orders issued in his absence.
