Chapter 15 Flashcards
vagrant
n.
- One who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or a means of livelihood.
- One who lives on the streets or constitutes a public nuisance.
flagrant
adj.
Conspicuously bad, offensive, or reprehensible; clearly wrong: a flagrant miscarriage of justice.
inexpedient
adj.
Not expedient; inadvisable: an inexpedient tactic.
partisan
adj.
- Of, relating to, or characteristic of a partisan or partisans; one-sided
- Biased in support of a party, group, or cause: partisan politics.
proscribe
v.
1. To prohibit; forbid: foods that are proscribed by religious dietary laws.
2. To denounce or condemn
3.
a. To banish or outlaw (a person)
b. To publish the name of (a person) as outlawed.
vapid
adj.
- Lacking liveliness, animation, or interest; dull: vapid conversation.
- Lacking taste, zest, or flavor; flat: vapid beer.
arbitrary
adj.
- Determined by chance, whim, or impulse, and not by necessity, reason, or principle; random; for no definite reason: stopped at the first motel we passed, an arbitrary choice.
- Based on or subject to individual judgment or preference: The diet imposes overall calorie limits, but daily menus are arbitrary.
clairvoyant
adj.
One who has the supposed power to see objects or events that cannot be perceived by the senses; psychic; mystic.
pathos
n.
- A quality, as of an experience or a work of art, that arouses feelings of pity, sympathy, tenderness, or sorrow.
- The feeling, as of sympathy or pity, so aroused.
prosody
n.
- The study of the metrical structure of verse.
- A particular system of versification.
- The set of speech variables, including rhythm, speed, pitch, and relative emphasis, that distinguish vocal patterns.
solicit
v.
- To seek to obtain by persuasion, entreaty, or formal application: solicit votes
- To petition persistently; importune: solicited the neighbours for donations.
- To commit the criminal offence of enticing or inciting (another) to commit an illegal act.
variegated
adj.
- Having streaks, marks, or patches of a different color or colors; varicolored; multicoloured; speckled: a plant with variegated leaves.
- Distinguished or characterized by variety; diversified: her variegated experience.
arcane
adj.
Known or understood by only a few; obscure: arcane economic theories.
clamor
n.
- A loud noise or outcry; a hubbub; shout; scream
- A vehement expression of discontent or protest: a clamor in the press for pollution control.
discursive
adj.
- Covering a wide field of subjects; rambling; long winded; indirect.
- Proceeding to a conclusion through reason rather than intuition.
mellow
adj.
1.
a. Soft, sweet, juicy, and full-flavored because of ripeness: a mellow fruit.
b. Suggesting softness or sweetness: mellow air
2.
a. Flavorful and mild or smooth, as from being properly matured: a mellow wine.
b. Soft and pleasant; not harsh: a mellow voice; mellow light.
3. Gentle and understanding, especially from being mature or experienced: a mellow man
4. Relaxed and unhurried; easygoing: a mellow friend; a mellow conversation.
5. Slang: Slightly and pleasantly intoxicated.
6. Moist, rich, soft, and loamy. Used of soil.
patron
n.
- One that supports, protects, or champions someone or something, such as an institution, event, or cause; a sponsor or benefactor: a patron of the arts.
- A customer, especially a regular customer.
- The owner or manager of an establishment, especially a restaurant or an inn of France or Spain.
prostrate
- To put or throw flat with the face down, as in submission or adoration.
- To cause to lie flat: The wind prostrated the young trees.
- To reduce to extreme weakness or incapacitation; overcome: an illness that prostrated an entire family; a nation that was prostrated by years of civil war.
somnambulism
n.
Sleepwalking
vehemence
adj.
Characterized by forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion or conviction; fervid: a vehement denial.
clandestine
adj.
Kept or done in secret, often to conceal an illicit or improper purpose.
flippant
adj.
1. Marked by disrespectful levity or casualness; pert: apologized for his flippant remark.
menagerie
n.
1.
a. A collection of live wild animals on exhibition.
b. The place where such animals are kept.
2. A diverse or miscellaneous group.
patronize
v.
- To act as a patron to; support or sponsor: donors who patronize the orchestra.
- To go to as a customer, especially on a regular basis: We patronize the local diner.
- To treat in a condescending manner, often in showing interest or kindness that is insincere: felt she was being patronized by her supervisor.
protagonist
n.
1. The main character in a drama or other literary work.
2. In ancient Greek drama, the first actor to engage in dialogue with the chorus, in later dramas playing the main character and some minor characters as well.
3.
a. A leading or principal figure.
b. The leader of a cause; a champion.
