Cultural Artifacts Flashcards
arcane
known or understood by only a few
The dusty archive includes an arcane treasure trove of nautical charts from the Age of Discovery.
assimilate
to absorb or become absorbed; to make or become similar
Keisha assimilated so quickly at her new school that she was named head of the social committee a month after enrolling.
autonomy
independence; self-determination
Candice gained autonomy upon moving out of her parents’ house into her own apartment.
cosmopolitan
worldly; widely sophisticated
Inga was surprisingly cosmopolitan considering that she had never left her tiny hometown in Norway.
derivative
something that comes from another source
Special Victims Unit and Criminal Intent are derivative spin-offs of the original aw and Order drama series.
entourage
a group of attendants or associates; a retinue
Top celebrities travel with extensive entourages, which often include security gaurds, assistants, etc.
esoteric
intended to only be understood by a small group
Esme’s play is extremely esoteric; someone to raise in Estonia would find it difficult to follow.
gaffe
a clumsy social error; a faux pass
Geoff committed the gaffe of telling his date that he’d gone out with her sister the night before.
idiosyncrasy
characteristic peculiar to and individual or group
She had many idiosyncrasies, one of which was washing her socks in the dishwasher.
insular
isolated; narrow or provincial
The family was so insular that nobody could get near them.
orthodox
adhering to the traditional and established, especially in religion
My father held an orthodox view of baseball; he believed that the field should be outside and made of real grass.
potentate
one who has the power and position to rule over others; monarch
AN omnipotent potentate is a person to be reckoned with; great power in the hands of a great leader is a powerful combination.
