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Word Smart I > Day 8 > Flashcards

Day 8 Flashcards

1
Q

Define:

pragmatic

(prag MAT ik)

A

adj. practical; down to earth; based on experience rather than theory

Erecting a gigantic dome of gold over our house would have been the ideal solution to the leak in our roof, but the small size of our bank account forced us to be pragmatic; we patched the hole with a dab of tar instead.

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2
Q

Define:

precedent

(PRES uh dunt)

A

n. an earlier example or model of something

Last year’s million-dollar prom set a precedent that the current student council hopes will not be followed in the future. That is, the student council hopes that future proms won’t cost a million dollars.

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3
Q

Define:

precept

(PREE sept)

A

n. a rule to live by; a principle establishing a certain kind of action or behavior; a maxim

“Love thy neighbor” is a precept we have sometimes found difficult to follow; our neighbor is a noisy oaf who painted his house electric blue and who throws his empty beer cans into our yard.

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4
Q

Define:

precipitate

(pri SIP uh tayt)

A

v. to cause to happen abruptly

A panic among investors precipitated last Monday’s crisis in the stock market.

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5
Q

Define:

precipitous

(pri SIP uh tus)

A

adj. steep

Precipitous means like a precipice, or cliff. It and precipitate are closely related, as you probably guessed. But they don’t mean the same thing, even though precipitous is often used loosely to mean the same thing as precipitate.

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6
Q

Define:

preclude

(pri KLOOD)

A

v. to prevent something from ever happening

Ann feared that her abysmal academic career might preclude her becoming a brain surgeon.

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7
Q

Define:

precursor

(pri KUR sur)

A

n. forerunner; something that goes before and anticipates or paves the way for whatever it is that follows

The arrival of a million-dollar check in the mail might be the precursor of a brand-new car.

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8
Q

Define:

predilection

(pred uh LEK shun)

A

n. a natural preference for something

The impatient judge had a predilection for well-prepared lawyers who said what they meant and didn’t waste his time.

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9
Q

Define:

preeminent

(pree EM uh nunt)

A

adj. better than anyone else; outstanding; supreme

The nation’s preeminent harpsichordist would be the best harpsichordist in the nation.

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10
Q

Define:

preempt

(pree EMPT)

A

v. to seize something by prior right

When television show A preempts television show B, television show A is shown at the time usually reserved for television show B. The word preempt implies that television show A is more important than television show B and thus has a greater right to the time slot.

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11
Q

Define:

premise

(PREM is)

A

n. an assumption; the basis for a conclusion

In deciding to eat all the ice cream in the freezer, my premise was that if I didn’t do it, you would.

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12
Q

Define:

prepossess

(pree puh ZES)

A

v. to preoccupy; to influence beforehand or prejudice; to make a good impression on beforehand

My dream of producing energy from old chewing-gum wrappers prepossessed me, and I lost my job, my home, my wife, and my children.

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13
Q

Define:

prerogative

(pri RAHG uh tiv)

A

n. a right or privilege connected exclusively with a position, a person, a class, a nation, or some other group or classification

Giving traffic tickets to people he didn’t like was one of the prerogatives of Junior’s job as a policeman.

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14
Q

Define:

prevail

(pri VAYL)

A

v. to triumph; to overcome rivals; (with on, upon, or with) to persuade

The prosecutor prevailed in the murder trial; the defendant was found guilty.

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15
Q

Define:

pristine

(PRIS teen)

A

adj. original; unspoiled; pure

An antique in pristine condition is one that hasn’t been tampered with over the years. It’s still in its original condition.

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16
Q

Define:

prodigal

(PRAHD uh gul)

A

adj. wastefully extravagant

The chef was prodigal with his employer’s money, spending thousands of dollars on ingredients for what was supposed to be a simple meal.

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17
Q

Define:

prodigious

(pruh DIJ us)

A

adj. extraordinary; enormous

To fill the Grand Canyon with Ping-Pong balls would be a prodigious undertaking; it would be both extraordinary and enormous.

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18
Q

Define:

prodigy

(PRAHD uh jee)

A

n. an extremely talented child; an extraordinary accomplishment or occurrence

The three-year-old prodigy could play all of Beethoven and most of Brahms on his harmonica.

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19
Q

Define:

profane

(proh FAYN)

A

adj. not having to do with religion; irreverent; blasphemous

Profane is the opposite of sacred. Worshiping the almighty dollar is profane. Profane can also mean disrespectful of religion. Cursing in class would be profane.

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20
Q

Define:

profess

(pruh FES)

A

v. to declare; to declare falsely or pretend

Jason professed to have taught himself calculus.

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21
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. practical; down to earth; based on experience rather than theory

A

pragmatic

(prag MAT ik)

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22
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an earlier example or model of something

A

precedent

(PRES uh dunt)

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23
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a rule to live by; a principle establishing a certain kind of action or behavior; a maxim

A

precept

(PREE sept)

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24
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to cause to happen abruptly

A

precipitate

(pri SIP uh tayt)

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25
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. steep

A

precipitous

(pri SIP uh tus)

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26
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to prevent something from ever happening

A

preclude

(pri KLOOD)

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27
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. forerunner; something that goes before and anticipates or paves the way for whatever it is that follows

A

precursor

(pri KUR sur)

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28
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a natural preference for something

A

predilection

(pred uh LEK shun)

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29
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. better than anyone else; outstanding; supreme

A

preeminent

(pree EM uh nunt)

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30
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to seize something by prior right

A

preempt

(pree EMPT)

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31
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an assumption; the basis for a conclusion

A

premise

(PREM is)

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32
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to preoccupy; to influence beforehand or prejudice; to make a good impression on beforehand

A

prepossess

(pree puh ZES)

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33
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a right or privilege connected exclusively with a position, a person, a class, a nation, or some other group or classification

A

prerogative

(pri RAHG uh tiv)

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34
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to triumph; to overcome rivals; (with on, upon, or with) to persuade

A

prevail

(pri VAYL)

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35
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. original; unspoiled; pure

A

pristine

(PRIS teen)

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36
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. wastefully extravagant

A

prodigal

(PRAHD uh gul)

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37
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. extraordinary; enormous

A

prodigious

(pruh DIJ us)

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38
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an extremely talented child; an extraordinary accomplishment or occurrence

A

prodigy

(PRAHD uh jee)

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39
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. not having to do with religion; irreverent; blasphemous

A

profane

(proh FAYN)

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40
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to declare; to declare falsely or pretend

A

profess

(pruh FES)

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41
Q

Define:

rigorous

(RIG ur us)

A

adj. strict; harsh; severe

Our exercise program was rigorous but effective; after just a few months, our eighteen hours of daily exercise had begun to pay off.

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42
Q

Define:

robust

(roh BUST)

A

adj. strong and healthy; vigorous

The hundred-year-old woman was still robust. Every morning she ran several miles down to the ocean and jumped in.

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43
Q

Define:

rogue

(rohg)

A

n. a criminally dishonest person; a scoundrel

Huckleberry Finn is a bit of a rogue; while his actions are technically criminal, he performs them with noble intentions and a humorous spirit.

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44
Q

Define:

rudimentary

(roo duh MEN tuh ree)

A

adj. basic; crude; unformed or undeveloped

The boy who had lived with wolves for fifteen years lacked even the most rudimentary social skills.

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45
Q

Define:

ruminate

(ROO muh nayt)

A

v. to contemplate; to ponder; to mull over

The teacher’s comment about the causes of weather set me to ruminating about what a nice day it was and to wishing that I were outside. Ruminate comes from a Latin word meaning to chew cud. Cows, sheep, and other cud-chewing animals are called ruminants. To ruminate is to quietly chew on or ponder your own thoughts.

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46
Q

Define:

rustic

(RUS tik)

A

adj. rural; lacking urban comforts or sophistication; primitive

Life in the log cabin was too rustic for Leah; she missed hot showers, cold beer, and electricity.

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47
Q

Define:

stipulate

(STIP yuh layt)

A

v. to require something as part of an agreement

You are well advised to stipulate the maximum amount you will pay in any car-repair contract.

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48
Q

Define:

stoic

(STOH ik)

A

adj. indifferent (at least outwardly) to pleasure or pain, to joy or grief, to fortune or misfortune

Nina was stoic about the death of her canary; she went about her business as though nothing sad had happened.

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49
Q

Define:

stratum

(STRAT um)

A

n. a layer; a level

The middle class is one stratum of society. The plural of stratum is strata. A hierarchy is composed of strata. To stratify is to make into layers.

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50
Q

Define:

stricture

(STRIK chur)

A

n. a restriction; a limitation; a negative criticism

Despite the strictures of apartment living, we enjoyed the eight years we spent in New York City.

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51
Q

Define:

strife

(stryfe)

A

n. bitter conflict; discord; a struggle or clash

Marital strife often leads to divorce.

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52
Q

Define:

stringent

(STRIN junt)

A

adj. strict; restrictive

The restaurant’s stringent dress code required diners to wear paper hats, army boots, and battery-operated twirling bow ties.

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53
Q

Define:

stymie

(STYE mee)

A

v. to thwart; to get in the way of; to hinder

Stymie is a golfing term. A golfer is stymied when another player’s ball lies on the direct path between his or her own ball and the cup. Off the golf course, one might be stymied by one’s boss. In my effort to make a name for myself in the company, I was stymied by my boss, who always managed to take credit for all the good things I did and to blame me for his mistakes.

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54
Q

Define:

subjugate

(SUB juh gayt)

A

v. to subdue and dominate; to enslave

I bought the fancy riding lawn mower because I thought it would make my life easier, but it quickly subjugated me; all summer long, it seems, I did nothing but change its oil, sharpen its blades, and drive it back and forth between my house and the repair shop.

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55
Q

Define:

sublime

(suh BLYME)

A

adj. awesome; extremely exalted; lofty; majestic

After winning $70 million in the lottery and quitting our jobs as sewer workers, our happiness was sublime.

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56
Q

Define:

subordinate

(suh BOR duh nit)

A

adj. lower in importance, position, or rank; secondary

My desire to sit on the couch and watch television all night long was subordinate to my desire to stand in the kitchen eating junk food all night long, so I did the latter instead of the former.

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57
Q

Define:

substantive

(SUB stan tiv)

A

adj. having substance; real; essential; solid; substantial

The differences between the two theories were not substantive; in fact, the two theories said the same thing with different words.

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58
Q

Define:

subtle

(SUT ul)

A

adj. not obvious; able to make fine distinctions; ingenious; crafty

The alien beings had created a shrewd replica of Mr. Jenson, but his wife did notice a few subtle differences, including the fact that the new Mr. Jenson had no pulse.

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59
Q

Define:

subversive

(sub VUR siv)

A

adj. corrupting; overthrowing; undermining; insurgent

The political group destroyed the Pentagon’s computer files, hijacked Air Force One, and engaged in various other subversive activities.

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60
Q

Define:

succinct

(suk SINGKT)

A

adj. brief and to the point; concise

Aaron’s succinct explanation of why the moon doesn’t fall out of the sky and crash into the earth quickly satisfied even the dullest of the anxious investment bankers.

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61
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. strict; harsh; severe

A

rigorous

(RIG ur us)

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62
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. strong and healthy; vigorous

A

robust

(roh BUST)

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63
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a criminally dishonest person; a scoundrel

A

rogue

(rohg)

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64
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. basic; crude; unformed or undeveloped

A

rudimentary

(roo duh MEN tuh ree)

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65
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to contemplate; to ponder; to mull over

A

ruminate

(ROO muh nayt)

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66
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. rural; lacking urban comforts or sophistication; primitive

A

rustic

(RUS tik)

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67
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to require something as part of an agree­ment

A

stipulate

(STIP yuh layt)

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68
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. indifferent (at least outwardly) to pleasure or pain, to joy or grief, to fortune or misfortune

A

stoic

(STOH ik)

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69
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a layer; a level

A

stratum

(STRAT um)

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70
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a restriction; a limitation; a negative criticism

A

stricture

(STRIK chur)

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71
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. bitter conflict; discord; a struggle or clash

A

strife

(stryfe)

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72
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. strict; restrictive

A

stringent

(STRIN junt)

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73
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to thwart; to get in the way of; to hinder

A

stymie

(STYE mee)

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74
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to subdue and dominate; to enslave

A

subjugate

(SUB juh gayt)

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75
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. awesome; extremely exalted; lofty; majestic

A

sublime

(suh BLYME)

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76
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. lower in importance, position, or rank; secondary

A

subordinate

(suh BOR duh nit)

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77
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. having substance; real; essential; solid; substantial

A

substantive

(SUB stan tiv)

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78
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. not obvious; able to make fine distinctions; ingenious; crafty

A

subtle

(SUT ul)

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79
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. corrupting; overthrowing; undermining; insurgent

A

subversive

(sub VUR siv)

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80
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. brief and to the point; concise

A

succinct

(suk SINGKT)

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81
Q

Define:

succumb

(suh KUM)

A

v. to yield or submit; to die

I had said I wasn’t going to eat anything at the party, but when Ann held the tray of imported chocolates under my nose, I quickly succumbed and ate all of them.

82
Q

Define:

supercilious

(soo pur SIL ee us)

A

adj. haughty; patronizing

The supercilious Rolls-Royce salesman treated us like peasants until we opened our suitcase full of one-hundred-dollar bills.

83
Q

Define:

superficial

(soo pur FISH ul)

A

adj. on the surface only; shallow; not thorough

Tom had indeed been shot, but the wound was superficial; the bullet had merely creased the tip of his nose.

84
Q

Define:

superfluous

(soo PUR floo us)

A

adj. extra; unnecessary; redundant

Andrew’s attempt to repair the light bulb was superfluous, since the light bulb had already been repaired.

85
Q

Define:

surfeit

(SUR fit)

A

n. excess; an excessive amount; excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking

Thanksgiving meals are usually a surfeit for everyone involved.

86
Q

Define:

surreptitious

(sur up TISH us)

A

adj. sneaky; secret

The dinner guest surreptitiously slipped a few silver spoons into his jacket as he was leaving the dining room.

87
Q

Define:

surrogate

(SUR uh git)

A

adj. substitute

A surrogate mother is a woman who bears a child for someone else.

88
Q

Define:

sycophant

(SIK uh funt)

A

n. one who sucks up to others

The French class seemed to be full of sycophants; the students were always bringing apples to the teacher and telling her how nice she looked.

89
Q

Define:

synthesis

(SIN thuh sis)

A

n. the combining of parts to form a whole

It seemed as though the meeting might end in acrimony and confusion until Raymond offered his brilliant synthesis of the two diverging points of view.

90
Q

Define:

appreciate

(uh PREE shee ayt)

A

v. to increase in value

The Browns bought their house twenty years ago for a hundred dollars, but it has appreciated considerably since then; today it’s worth almost a million dollars.

91
Q

Define:

apprehensive

(ap ruh HEN siv)

A

adj. worried; anxious

The apprehensive child clung to his father’s leg as the two of them walked into the main circus tent to watch the lion tamer.

92
Q

Define:

approbation

(ap ruh BAY shun)

A

n. approval; praise

The crowd expressed its approbation of what the team had done by gleefully covering the field with chicken carcasses. Approbation is a fancy word for approval, to which it is closely re­ lated. Disapprobation is disapproval.

93
Q

Define:

appropriate

(uh PROH pree ayt)

A

v. to take without permission; to set aside for a particular use

Nick appropriated my lunch; he grabbed it out of my hands and ate it. So I appropriated Ed’s.

94
Q

Define:

aptitude

(AP tuh tood)

A

n. capacity for learning; natural ability

The Princeton Review students have a marked aptitude for taking the SAT. They earn high scores.

95
Q

Define:

arbiter

(AHR buh tur)

A

n. one who decides; a judge

An arbiter of fashion determines what other people will wear by wearing it herself.

96
Q

Define:

arbitrary

(AHR buh trer ee)

A

adj. random; capricious

The grades Mr. Simone gave his English students appeared to be arbitrary; they didn’t seem related to anything the students had done in class.

97
Q

Define:

arcane

(ahr KAYN)

A

adj. mysterious; known only to a select few

The rites of the secret cult were arcane; no one outside the cult knew what they were.

98
Q

Define:

archaic

(ahr KAY ik)

A

adj. extremely old; ancient; outdated

The tribe’s traditions are archaic. They have been in force for thousands of years.

99
Q

Define:

archetype

(AHR kuh type)

A

n. an original model or pattern

An archetype is similar to a prototype. A prototype is a first, tentative model that is made but that will be improved in later versions. Henry Ford built a prototype of his Model T in his basement. His mother kicked him out, so he had no choice but to start a motor car company. An archetype is usually something that precedes something else. Plato is the archetype of all philosophers.

100
Q

Define:

ardent

(AHR dunt)

A

adj. passionate; enthusiastic

Larry’s ardent wooing finally got on Cynthia’s nerves, and she told him to get lost.

101
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to yield or submit; to die

A

succumb

(suh KUM)

102
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. haughty; patronizing

A

supercilious

(soo pur SIL ee us)

103
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. on the surface only; shallow; not thorough

A

superficial

(soo pur FISH ul)

104
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. extra; unnecessary; redundant

A

superfluous

(soo PUR floo us)

105
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. excess; an excessive amount; excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking

A

surfeit

(SUR fit)

106
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. sneaky; secret

A

surreptitious

(sur up TISH us)

107
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. substitute

A

surrogate

(SUR uh git)

108
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. one who sucks up to others

A

sycophant

(SIK uh funt)

109
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the combining of parts to form a whole

A

synthesis

(SIN thuh sis)

110
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to increase in value

A

appreciate

(uh PREE shee ayt)

111
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. worried; anxious

A

apprehensive

(ap ruh HEN siv)

112
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. approval; praise

A

approbation

(ap ruh BAY shun)

113
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to take without permission; to set aside for a particular use

A

appropriate

(uh PROH pree ayt)

114
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. capacity for learning; natural ability

A

aptitude

(AP tuh tood)

115
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. one who decides; a judge

A

arbiter

(AHR buh tur)

116
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. random; capricious

A

arbitrary

(AHR buh trer ee)

117
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. mysterious; known only to a select few

A

arcane

(ahr KAYN)

118
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. extremely old; ancient; outdated

A

archaic

(ahr KAY ik)

119
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an original model or pattern

A

archetype

(AHR kuh type)

120
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. passionate; enthusiastic

A

ardent

(AHR dunt)

121
Q

Define:

arduous

(AHR joo us)

A

adj. hard; difficult

Climbing the mountain was arduous. We were so exhausted when we got to the top that we forgot to enjoy the view.

122
Q

Define:

aristocratic

(uh ris tuh KRAT ik)

A

adj. of noble birth; snobbish

Prince Charles is aristocratic. He is a member of the British aristocracy.

123
Q

Define:

artful

(AHRT ful)

A

adj. crafty; wily; sly

After dinner, the artful counselor told the campers that there was a madman loose in the woods, thus causing them to lie quietly in the tent.

124
Q

Define:

artifice

(AHRT uh fus)

A

n. a clever trick; cunning

The Trojan Horse was an artifice designed to get the soldiers inside the walls.

125
Q

Define:

ascendancy

(uh SEN dun see)

A

n. supremacy; domination

Small computers have been in ascendancy for the past few years.

126
Q

Define:

ascetic

(uh SET ik)

A

adj. hermitlike; practicing self-denial

The college professor’s apartment, which contained no furniture except a single tattered mattress, was uncomfortably ascetic.

127
Q

Define:

assiduous

(uh SIJ oo us)

A

adj. hardworking; busy; quite diligent

The workmen were assiduous in their effort to get nothing done; instead of working, they drank coffee all day long.

128
Q

Define:

assimilate

(uh SIM uh layt)

A

v. to take in; to absorb; to learn thoroughly

To assimilate an idea is to take it in as thoroughly as if you had eaten it. (Your body assimilates nutrients from the food you eat.) To assimilate knowledge is to absorb it, to let it soak in. People can be assimilated, too.

129
Q

Define:

assuage

(uh SWAYJ)

A

v. to soothe; to pacify; to ease the pain of; to relieve

Beth was extremely angry, but I assuaged her by promising to leave the house and never return.

130
Q

Define:

astute

(uh STOOT)

A

adj. shrewd; keen in judgment

Morris was an astute judge of character; he was very good at seeing what people are really like.

131
Q

Define:

atheist

(AY thee ist)

A

n. one who does not believe in the existence of any god or divine being

Hadley had always imagined a big religious wedding, but Emma, a life-long atheist, preferred a Vegas elopement.

132
Q

Define:

attrition

(uh TRISH un)

A

n. gradual wearing away, weakening, or loss; a natural or expected decrease in numbers or size

Mr. Gregory did not have the heart to fire his workers even though his company was losing millions each year. He altruistically preferred to lose workers through attrition when they moved away, retired, or decided to change jobs.

133
Q

Define:

audacity

(aw DAS uh tee)

A

n. boldness; reckless daring; impertinence

Edgar’s soaring leap off the top of the building was an act of great audacity.

134
Q

Define:

augment

(awg MENT)

A

v. to make bigger; to add to; to increase

The army augmented its attack by sending in a few thousand more soldiers.

135
Q

Define:

auspicious

(aw SPISH us)

A

adj. favorable; promising; pointing to a good result

A clear sky in the morning is an auspicious sign on the day of a picnic.

136
Q

Define:

austere

(aw STEER)

A

adj. unadorned; stern; forbidding; without excess

The Smiths’ house was austere; there was no furniture in it, and there was nothing hanging on the walls.

137
Q

Define:

autocratic

(aw tuh KRAT ik)

A

adj. ruling with absolute authority; extremely bossy

The ruthless dictator’s autocratic reign ended when the rebels blew up his palace with plastic explosive.

138
Q

Define:

autonomous

(aw TAHN uh mus)

A

adj. acting independently

The West Coast office of the law firm was quite autonomous; it never asked the East Coast office for permission before it did anything.

139
Q

Define:

avarice

(AV ur is)

A

n. greed; excessive love of riches

The rich man’s avarice was annoying to everyone who wanted to lay hands on some of his money. Avarice is the opposite of generosity or philanthropy. To be avaricious is to love wealth above all else and not to share it with other people.

140
Q

Define:

avow

(uh VOW)

A

v. to claim; to declare boldly; to admit

At the age of twenty-five, Louis finally avowed that he couldn’t stand his mother’s apple pie. To avow something is to declare or admit something that most people are reluctant to declare or admit.

141
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. hard; difficult

A

arduous

(AHR joo us)

142
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. of noble birth; snobbish

A

aristocratic

(uh ris tuh KRAT ik)

143
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. crafty; wily; sly

A

artful

(AHRT ful)

144
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a clever trick; cunning

A

artifice

(AHRT uh fus)

145
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. supremacy; domination

A

ascendancy

(uh SEN dun see)

146
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. hermitlike; practicing self-denial

A

ascetic

(uh SET ik)

147
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. hardworking; busy; quite diligent

A

assiduous

(uh SIJ oo us)

148
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to take in; to absorb; to learn thoroughly

A

assimilate

(uh SIM uh layt)

149
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to soothe; to pacify; to ease the pain of; to relieve

A

assuage

(uh SWAYJ)

150
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. shrewd; keen in judgment

A

astute

(uh STOOT)

151
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. one who does not believe in the existence of any god or divine being

A

atheist

(AY thee ist)

152
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. gradual wearing away, weakening, or loss; a natural or expected decrease in numbers or size

A

attrition

(uh TRISH un)

153
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. boldness; reckless daring; impertinence

A

audacity

(aw DAS uh tee)

154
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to make bigger; to add to; to increase

A

augment

(awg MENT)

155
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. favorable; promising; pointing to a good result

A

auspicious

(aw SPISH us)

156
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. unadorned; stern; forbidding; without excess

A

austere

(aw STEER)

157
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. ruling with absolute authority; extremely bossy

A

autocratic

(aw tuh KRAT ik)

158
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. acting independently

A

autonomous

(aw TAHN uh mus)

159
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. greed; excessive love of riches

A

avarice

(AV ur is)

160
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to claim; to declare boldly; to admit

A

avow

(uh VOW)

161
Q

Define:

contentious

(kun TEN shus)

A

adj. argumentative; quarrelsome

Liz figured that her contentious style would make her a perfect litigator; after law school, however, the would-be trial attorney discovered that passing the bar requires more than a will to argue.

162
Q

Define:

contiguous

(kun TIG yoo us)

A

adj. side by side; adjoining

Two countries that share a border are contiguous; so are two events that happened one right after the other.

163
Q

Define:

contingent

(kun TIN junt)

A

adj. dependent; possible

Our agreement to buy their house is contingent upon the sellers’ finding another house to move into. That is, they won’t sell their house to us unless they can find another house to buy.

164
Q

Define:

contrite

(kun TRYTE)

A

adj. admitting guilt; especially feeling remorseful

To be contrite is to admit whatever terrible thing you did. Mira was contrite about her mistake, so we forgave her.

165
Q

Define:

contrived

(kun TRYVED)

A

adj. artificial; labored

Sam’s acting was contrived: No one in the audience believed his character or enjoyed his performance.

166
Q

Define:

conventional

(kun VEN shun nul)

A

adj. common; customary; unexceptional

The architect’s conventional designs didn’t win him awards for originality.

167
Q

Define:

convivial

(kun VIV ee ul)

A

adj. fond of partying; festive

A convivial gathering is one in which the people present enjoy eat­ ing, drinking, and being together. To be convivial is to be an eager but generally well-behaved party animal. A convivial person is the opposite of an antisocial person.

168
Q

Define:

copious

(KOH pee us)

A

adj. abundant; plentiful

The champagne at the wedding reception was copious but not very good.

169
Q

Define:

corollary

(KOR uh ler ee)

A

n. something that follows; a natural consequence

In mathematics, a corollary is a law that can be deduced without further proof from a law that has already been proven. Bloodshed and death are corollaries of any declaration of war.

170
Q

Define:

corroborate

(kuh ROB uh rayt)

A

v. to confirm; to back up with evidence

I knew my statement was correct when my colleague corroborated it.

171
Q

Define:

cosmopolitan

(kahz muh PAHL uh tun)

A

adj. at home in many places or situations; internationally sophisticated

Marcello’s interests were cosmopolitan—he liked Greek wine, German beer, Dutch cheese, Japanese cars, and French fries.

172
Q

Define:

countenance

(KOWN tuh nuns)

A

n. face; facial expression, especially an encouraging one

His father’s confident countenance gave Lou the courage to persevere.

173
Q

Define:

coup

(koo)

A

n. a brilliant victory or accomplishment; the violent overthrow of a government by a small internal group

Winning a gold medal at the Olympics was a real coup for the skinny, sickly, fifty-year-old man. The full name for this type of coup is coup d’état (koo day TAH). A coup de grace (koo duh GRAHS) is a final blow or concluding event.

174
Q

Define:

covenant

(KUV uh nunt)

A

n. a solemn agreement; a contract; a pledge

The warring tribes made a covenant not to fight each other anymore.

175
Q

Define:

covert

(KOV urt)

A

adj. secret; hidden

To be covert is to be covered. Covert activities are secret activities. A covert military operation is one the public knows nothing about. The opposite of covert is overt. Overt (OH vurt) means open or unconcealed.

176
Q

Define:

covet

(KUV it)

A

v. to wish for enviously

To covet thy neighbor’s wife is to want thy neighbor’s wife for thyself.

177
Q

Define:

credulous

(KREJ uh lus)

A

adj. eager to believe; gullible

The credulous housewife believed that she had won a million dollars from Publishers Clearing House.

178
Q

Define:

criterion

(krye TEER ee un)

A

n. standard; basis for judgment

When Norm judges a meal, he has only one criterion: Is it edible?

179
Q

Define:

cryptic

(KRIP tik)

A

adj. mysterious; mystifying

Elaine’s remarks were cryptic; Jerry was baffled by what she said.

180
Q

Define:

culinary

(KYOO luh ner ee)

A

adj. relating to cooking or the kitchen

Allison pursued her culinary interests by attending the culinary institute. Her first meal, which was burned beyond recognition, was a culinary disaster.

181
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. argumentative; quarrelsome

A

contentious

(kun TEN shus)

182
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. side by side; adjoining

A

contiguous

(kun TIG yoo us)

183
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. dependent; possible

A

contingent

(kun TIN junt)

184
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. admitting guilt; especially feeling remorseful

A

contrite

(kun TRYTE)

185
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. artificial; labored

A

contrived

(kun TRYVED)

186
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. common; customary; unexceptional

A

conventional

(kun VEN shun nul)

187
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. fond of partying; festive

A

convivial

(kun VIV ee ul)

188
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. abundant; plentiful

A

copious

(KOH pee us)

189
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. something that follows; a natural consequence

A

corollary

(KOR uh ler ee)

190
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to confirm; to back up with evidence

A

corroborate

(kuh ROB uh rayt)

191
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. at home in many places or situations; internationally sophisticated

A

cosmopolitan

(kahz muh PAHL uh tun)

192
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. face; facial expression, especially an encouraging one

A

countenance

(KOWN tuh nuns)

193
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a brilliant victory or accomplishment; the violent overthrow of a government by a small internal group

A

coup

(koo)

194
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a solemn agreement; a contract; a pledge

A

covenant

(KUV uh nunt)

195
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. secret; hidden

A

covert

(KOV urt)

196
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to wish for enviously

A

covet

(KUV it)

197
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. eager to believe; gullible

A

credulous

(KREJ uh lus)

198
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. standard; basis for judgment

A

criterion

(krye TEER ee un)

199
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. mysterious; mystifying

A

cryptic

(KRIP tik)

200
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. relating to cooking or the kitchen

A

culinary

(KYOO luh ner ee)

Word Smart I (9 decks)

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