CAOS Flashcards

1
Q

Quinceañera

A

The fiesta de quince años (also fiesta de quinceañera, quince años and quince) is a celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday. It has its cultural roots in Mesoamerica and is widely celebrated today throughout the Americas.

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2
Q

Bar and Bat Mitzvah

A

Bar Mitzvah (Hebrew: בַּר מִצְוָה‬) is a Jewish coming of age ritual for boys (13). Bat Mitzvah (Hebrew: בַּת מִצְוָה‬; Ashkenazi pronunciation: Bas Mitzvah) is a Jewish coming of age ritual for girls (12). The plural is B’nai Mitzvah for boys, and B’not Mitzvah (Ashkenazi pronunciation: B’nos Mitzvah) for girls.

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3
Q

fascism

A

often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition

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4
Q

infernal

A

of or relating to a nether world of the dead,
of or relating to hell
HELLISH, DIABOLICAL

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5
Q

The Bluest Eye

A

The Bluest Eye is the first novel written by Toni Morrison in 1970. Morrison, a mother of two sons, wrote the novel while she taught at Howard University.

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6
Q

narcissus

A

capitalized : a beautiful youth in Greek mythology who pines away for love of his own reflection and is then turned into the narcissus flower

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7
Q

nether realm

A

the world of the dead in various religious traditions, located below the world of the living.
NetherRealm Studio is a video game producer.

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8
Q

elope

A

to run away secretly with the intention of getting married usually without parental consent,
to run away from one’s husband with a lover

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9
Q

warlock

A

A warlock is a male practitioner of evil magic

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10
Q

coven

A

a collection of individuals with similar interests or activities,
an assembly or band of usually 13 witches

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11
Q

impotence

A

the quality or state of being impotent: such as
a : lack of power, strength, or vigor : WEAKNESS
b : an abnormal physical or psychological state of a male characterized by inability to engage in sexual intercourse because of failure to have or maintain an erection : ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

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12
Q

veil

A

a length of cloth worn by women as a covering for the head and shoulders and often especially in Eastern countries for the face

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13
Q

wean

A

to accustom (a young child or animal) to take food otherwise than by nursing,
to detach from a source of dependence;
being weaned off the medication;
wean the bears from human food.

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14
Q

dispensation

A

a general state or ordering of things,
an exemption from a law or from an impediment, vow, or oath,
the act of dispensing

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15
Q

malfeasance

A

wrongdoing or misconduct especially by a public official

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16
Q

prognostication

A

an indication in advance : FORETOKEN,
an act, the fact, or the power of prognosticating : FORECAST,
prognosticate: to foretell from signs or symptoms : PREDICT

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17
Q

play it by ear

A

to decide how to deal with a situation as it develops, rather than acting according to plans made earlier

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18
Q

iguana

A

Iguana is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

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19
Q

felicitous

A

very well suited or expressed : APT,

PLEASANT, DELIGHTFUL

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20
Q

thicket

A

a dense growth of shrubbery or small trees : COPSE,
something resembling a thicket in density or impenetrability : TANGLE;
a political thicket;
a thicket of reporters.

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21
Q

ratify

A

to approve and sanction formally : CONFIRM:

ratify a treaty

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22
Q

myotonic atrophy

A

Myotonic dystrophy is a long term genetic disorder that affects muscle function.

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23
Q

dilettante

A

a person having a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge : DABBLER,
an admirer or lover of the arts

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24
Q

a hanger-on

A

a person who tries to be friendly and spend time with rich and important people, especially to get an advantage:
Wherever there is royalty, there are always hangers-on.

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25
Q

deprave

A

archaic : to speak ill of : MALIGN,
to make bad : CORRUPT;
especially : to corrupt morally

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26
Q

obscure

A
DARK, DIM,
not readily understood or clearly expressed
also : MYSTERIOUS,
relatively unknown: such as
a : REMOTE, SECLUDED
an obscure village
b : not prominent or famous
an obscure poet
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27
Q

renounce

A

to give up, refuse, or resign usually by formal declaration,

to refuse to follow, obey, or recognize any further : REPUDIATE

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28
Q

damnation

A

causing or leading to condemnation or ruin

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29
Q

sacrilegious

A

committing or characterized by sacrilege : having or showing a lack of proper respect for a sacred person, place, or object

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30
Q

deplorable

A
deserving censure or contempt;
deplorable behavior,
WRETCHED;
deplorable living conditions,
LAMENTABLE;
a deplorable death
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31
Q

pettifogger

A

a lawyer whose methods are petty, underhanded, or disreputable : SHYSTER,
one given to quibbling over trifles

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32
Q

antiquated

A

outmoded or discredited by reason of age : old and no longer useful, popular, or accepted;
antiquated ideas
antiquated methods of farming
antiquated slang

33
Q

occultism

A

occult theory or practice : belief in or study of the action or influence of supernatural or supernormal powers

34
Q

kismet

A

destiny, fate;

“what chance did I stand against kismet?”

35
Q

reclusive

A

seeking solitude : retiring from society;
a reclusive neighbour
marked by seclusion or retirement : SOLITARY

36
Q

excommunication

A

an ecclesiastical censure depriving a person of the rights of church membership,
exclusion from fellowship in a group or community

37
Q

malum malus

A

evil apple?

38
Q

enamoured

A

affected by strong feelings of love, admiration, or fascination

39
Q

gordian knot

A

the Gordian Knot is a legend of Phrygian Gordium associated with Alexander the Great. It is often used as a metaphor for an intractable problem (disentangling an “impossible” knot) solved easily by finding a loophole or thinking creatively (“cutting the Gordian knot”):

40
Q

embalming

A

1 : to treat (a dead body) so as to protect from decay
2 : to fill with sweet odors : PERFUME
3 : to protect from decay or oblivion : PRESERVE
embalm a hero’s memory
4 : to fix in a static condition

41
Q

purview

A

1a : the body or enacting part of a statute
b : the limit, purpose, or scope of a statute
2 : the range or limit of authority, competence, responsibility, concern, or intention
3 : range of vision, understanding, or cognizance

42
Q

vatican

A

the papal headquarters in Rome

43
Q

harrowing

A

acutely distressing or painful;

a harrowing experience

44
Q

insomnia

A

prolonged and usually abnormal inability to get enough sleep

45
Q

dexterity

A

readiness and grace in physical activity
especially : skill and ease in using the hands
manual dexterity,
mental skill or quickness : ADROITNESS

46
Q

midwife

A

a person who assists women in childbirth

47
Q

astral

A

of, relating to, or coming from the stars

48
Q

psychopomp

A

a conductor of souls to the afterworld,
Psychopomps are creatures, spirits, angels, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife.

49
Q

necromancy

A

Necromancy is a practice of magic involving communication with the deceased – either by summoning their spirit as an apparition or raising them bodily – for the purpose of divination, imparting the means to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge, to bring someone back from the dead, or to use the deceased as a weapon, as the term may sometimes be used in a more general sense to refer to black magic or witchcraft.

50
Q

sedated

A

keeping a quiet steady attitude or pace : UNRUFFLED

51
Q

noose

A

A noose is a loop at the end of a rope in which the knot tightens under load and can be loosened without.

52
Q

winnowed

A
to remove (something, such as chaff) by a current of air,
to blow on : FAN
53
Q

stupendous

A

causing astonishment or wonder : AWESOME, MARVELOUS

54
Q

conjure

A

to charge or entreat earnestly or solemnly,

to summon a devil or spirit by invocation or incantation

55
Q

precede

A

1 : to surpass in rank, dignity, or importance
2 : to be, go, or come ahead or in front of
3 : to be earlier than
4 : to cause to be preceded : PREFACE

56
Q

sanctum

A

a sacred place

57
Q

qed

A

Q.E.D. is an initialism of the Latin phrase “quod erat demonstrandum” meaning “ what was to be demonstrated” or “what was to be shown.”

58
Q

spurious

A

1 : of illegitimate birth : BASTARD
2 : outwardly similar or corresponding to something without having its genuine qualities : FALSE
the spurious eminence of the pop celebrity
3a : of falsified or erroneously attributed origin : FORGED
b : of a deceitful nature or quality
spurious excuses

59
Q

adversary

A

one that contends with, opposes, or resists : an enemy or opponent;
a clever adversary

60
Q

plight

A

to put or give in pledge : ENGAGE;

plight his troth

61
Q

omnipresent

A

present in all places at all times;

the museum’s omnipresent security apparatus

62
Q

abomination

A

something regarded with disgust or hatred : something abominable;
considered war an abomination,
extreme disgust and hatred : LOATHING;
a crime regarded with abomination

63
Q

smite

A

to strike sharply or heavily especially with the hand or an implement held in the hand

64
Q

mephistopheles

A

a chief devil in the Faust legend

65
Q

ordeal

A

a primitive means used to determine guilt or innocence by submitting the accused to dangerous or painful tests believed to be under supernatural control;
ordeal by fire;
ordeal by water,
a severe trial or experience;
Being trapped in an elevator was a harrowing ordeal for the shoppers.

66
Q

peril

A

exposure to the risk of being injured, destroyed, or lost : DANGER

67
Q

sodomy

A

anal or oral copulation with a member of the same or opposite sex
also : copulation with an animal

68
Q

proclivities

A

an inclination or predisposition toward something

especially : a strong inherent inclination toward something objectionable

69
Q

benevolence

A

disposition to do good

70
Q

perverted

A

Pathology. changed to or being of an unnatural or abnormal kind:
a perverted interest in death.
turned from what is right; wicked; misguided; distorted.
corrupt

71
Q

malevolent

A

having, showing, or arising from intense often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred,
productive of harm or evil

72
Q

rite

A

a ceremonial act or action

73
Q

raison d’etre

A

reason or justification for existence

74
Q

chaperone

A
a person (such as a matron) who for propriety (see PROPRIETY sense 4) accompanies one or more young unmarried women in public or in mixed company,
an older person who accompanies young people at a social gathering to ensure proper behavior
broadly : one delegated to ensure proper behavior
75
Q

ordain

A

to establish or order by appointment, decree, or law : ENACT

76
Q

potent

A

having or wielding force, authority, or influence : POWERFUL,
achieving or bringing about a particular result : EFFECTIVE,
able to copulate —usually used of the male

77
Q

intercede

A

to intervene between parties with a view to reconciling differences : MEDIATE

78
Q

britches

A

trousers, especially those that do not cover the whole of the leg