C's Flashcards
Canon
Body of accepted rules, standards, or artistic works; canonical means authorized, recognized, or pertaining to a canon. Note that the spelling of canon is not the same as cannon (a large weapon). The “Western canon” is an expression referring to books traditionally considered necessary for a person to be educated in the culture of Europe and the Americas.
School boards often start controversies when replacing canonical books in the curriculum with modern literature; while many people think students should reads works more relevant to their lives, other point out that Moby Dick is part of the canon for a reason.
Chancy
Risky, not having a certain outcome. This word comes from the idea of “taking a lot of chances” or depending on chance.
Channel
To direct or guide along a particular course. Channel can also be a noun (television channel, the channel of a river, channel of communication). As a verb, you might channel your energy towards productive purposes.
Checked
Restrained, held back. A check or checks can also be used to mean safeguards, limitations. This is the same checks as in checks and balances, which refers to an aspect of the American system of government in which the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches all have power over each other, so no one branch can gain too much power. The expression held in check means restrained, held back.
Once the economy took a turn for the worse, the investors began to hold spending in check.
The situation isn’t so simple - while the warlords are surely criminals of the worst degree, they are the only force checking the power of the dictator.
Chronological
Arranged in or relating to time order.
Joey, I’m afraid you’ve done the assignment incorrectly -the point of making a timeline is to put the information in chronological order. You’ve made an alphabetical-order-line instead!
Clamor
Noisy uproar or protest, as from a crowd; a loud, continuous noise. (not the same word as clamber, “to scramble or climb awkwardly.”)
As soon as a scent of scandal emerged, the press was clamoring for details.
The mayor couldn’t even make herself heard over the clamor of the protestors.
Clan
Traditional social unit or division of a tribe consisting of a number of families derived from a common ancestor. Metaphorically, a clan could be any group of people united by common aims, interests, etc.
Cloak
To cover or conceal. Often used as cloaked in. (Literally, a cloak is a large, loose cape, much like a winter coat without arms.)
Apple’s new products are often cloaked in mystery before they are released; before the launch of the iPad, even tech reviewers had little idea what the new device would be.
Coalesce
Come together, unite; fuse together.
While at first everyone on the team was jockeying for power and recognition, eventually, the group coalesced, and everyone was happy to share credit for a job well-done.
East and West Germany coalesced into a single county in 1990.
Coercion
Force; use of pressure, threats, etc. to force someone to do something.
Coexistence
Existing at the same time or in the same place. Coexistence is often used to mean peaceful coexistence, as in The goal of the Camp David Accords was the coexistence of Israel and Egypt.
Cogent
Very convincing, logical.
Many letters to the editor are not terribly cogent - they depend on unspoken and unjustified assumptions.
Cognitive
Related to thinking. Cognition is the mental process of knowing (awareness, judgement, reasoning, etc.).
Collude
Conspire; cooperate for illegal or fraudulent purposes.
After two competing software companies doubled their prices on the same day, leaving consumers no lower-priced alternative, the federal government investigated the companies for collusion.
Compliant
Obeying, submissive; following the requirements.
Those who are not compliant with the regulations will be put on probation and possibly expelled.
Compound
Add interest to the principal and accrued interest; increase. When talking about substances, compound can also mean mix, combine, as in to compound two chemicals.
The town was greatly damaged by the hurricane - damage that was only compounded by the subsequent looting and even arson that took place in the chaos that followed.
Your success in studying for the GRE can only be compounded by healthy sleep habits; in fact, the brain requires sleep in order to form new memories and thus solidify your knowledge.
Compromise
Reduce the quality or value of something. Or course, to compromise can be good in personal relationships, but often compromise means to give up something in a bad way, as in to compromise one’s morals. So, if we say that the hull of our boat has been compromised, we mean that we are going to sink!
It is unacceptable that safety is being compromised in the name of profits.
