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.
