Chapter 20 Flashcards
odyssey
a long and eventful or adventurous journey or experience
orchestrate
1 arrange or score (music) for orchestral performance: the song cycle was stunningly arranged and orchestrated.
2 arrange or direct the elements of (a situation) to produce a desired effect, especially surreptitiously: the developers were able to orchestrate a favorable media campaign.
ordain
1 make (someone) a priest or minister; confer holy orders on: he was ordained a minister before entering Parliament | women ordained to the diaconate | (as adjective ordained) : an ordained clergyman. 2 order or decree (something) officially
ordeal
a painful or horrific experience, especially a protracted one: the ordeal of having to give evidence.
protracted
lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual
ordinance
1 North American a piece of legislation enacted by a municipal authority: a city ordinance banned smoking in nearly all types of restaurants.
2 an authoritative order; a decree.
ornate
made in an intricate shape or decorated with complex patterns: an ornate wrought-iron railing.
orthodox
(of a person or their views, especially religious or political ones, or other beliefs or practices) conforming to what is generally or traditionally accepted as right or true; established and approved: orthodox medical treatment | orthodox Hindus | the orthodox economics of today.
• (of a person) not independent-minded; conventional and unoriginal: a relatively orthodox artist.
ossify
1 turn into bone or bony tissue: these tracheal cartilages may ossify.
2 become rigid or fixed in attitude or position; cease developing: our political system has ossified.
oust
drive out or expel (someone) from a position or place: he ousted a long-term incumbent by only 500 votes.
outlying
remote; situated far from a center
outmoded
old-fashioned
outskirts
the outer parts of a town or city: the park was built on the outskirts of New York in 1857.
• the fringes of something: he likes to be on the outskirts of a discussion.
overbearing
unpleasantly or arrogantly domineering: his overbearing, sometimes ruthless desire to succeed.
overhaul
- verb: take apart (a piece of machinery or equipment) in order to examine it and repair it if necessary
- noun: a thorough examination of machinery or a system, with repairs or changes made if necessary
overrule
reject or disallow by exercising one’s superior authority: the Supreme Court overruled the lower court.
• reject the decision or argument of (someone): he was overruled by his senior managers.
overpower
defeat or overcome with superior strength: he overpowered the two men and frogmarched them to the police station.
• be too intense for; overwhelm: they were overpowered by the fumes.
overshadow
appear much more prominent or important than: his competitive nature often overshadows the other qualities.
• be more impressive or successful than (another person): he was always overshadowed by his brilliant elder brother.
overturn
tip over; upend
overt
done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden: an overt act of aggression | in untreated cases, overt psychosis may occur.
overtake
(especially of misfortune) come suddenly or unexpectedly upon: the pattern of economic ruin overtook them.
• (of a feeling) affect (someone) suddenly and powerfully: weariness overtook him and he retired to bed.
pallid
(of a person’s face) pale, typically because of poor health.
• feeble or insipid: an utterly pallid and charmless character.
insipid
lacking flavor or vigor
palpable
1 (of a feeling or atmosphere) so intense as to seem almost tangible: a palpable sense of loss.
• plain to see or comprehend: to talk of dawn raids in the circumstances is palpable nonsense.
2 able to be touched or felt: the palpable bump at the bridge of the nose.
paltry
meager (lacking in quantity or quality): she would earn a paltry $33 more each month.
• petty; trivial: naval glory struck him as paltry.
pander
gratify or indulge (an immoral or distasteful desire, need, or habit or a person with such a desire, etc.): newspapers are pandering to people’s baser instincts.
base
(of a person or a person’s actions or feelings) without moral principles; ignoble: the electorate’s baser instincts of greed and selfishness | we hope his motives are nothing so base as money.
inexorably
in a way that is impossible to stop or prevent; irrevocable; irreversible; unavoidable: the conflict was to lead inexorably to the outbreak of World War I.
parry
ward off (a weapon or attack) with a countermove: he parried the blow by holding his sword vertically.
pastoral
associated with country life
pathos
a quality that evokes pity or sadness: the actor injects his customary humor and pathos into the role.
penchant
a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something: he has a penchant for adopting stray dogs.
patter
make a repeated light tapping sound: a flurry of rain pattered against the window.
• run with quick light steps: plovers pattered at the edge of the marsh.
payable
1 (of money) required to be paid; due: interest is payable on the money owing | send a check, payable to the ASPCA.
2 able to be paid: it costs just $195, payable in five monthly installments.
pedant
a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning: the royal palace (some pedants would say the ex-royal palace).
