Deck 5 Flashcards
quorum
/ˈkwɔrəm, ˈkwoʊr-/
number of members necessary to conduct a meeting
The U.S. Senate’s majority leader asked three members of his party to be available to help form a quorum.
raconteur
/ˌrækənˈtɜr; Fr. rakɔ̃ˈtœr/
witty, skillful storyteller
Former president Bill Clinton is known as an accomplished raconteur who can entertain guests with amusing anecdotes about politics all evening.
rail
to scold with bitter or abusive language
The critic of globalization railed against its effect on the poor people of the world.
raiment
/ˈreɪmənt/
clothing
It took two hours for the princess’ handmaidens to help her put on her splendid raiment for her coronation as queen.
ramification
implication; outgrowth; consequence
The full ramification of the invention of the laser did not become apparent for many years; now it is used in a great variety of applications, from DVD players to surgery.
rarefied
/ˈrɛərəˌfaɪd/
extremely high or elevated; lofty; exalted; refined
Many scholars flourish in the rarefied intellectual atmosophere of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, New Jersey.
rationale
/ˌræʃəˈnæl/
fundamental reason
The philosophy of “enlightened self-interest” justifies acting in one’s own interest by asserting that this is not selfish or motivated by a “beggar thy neighbor” rationale, but is simply the best way to ensure the welfare of the entire community.
rebus
/ˈribəs/
puzzle in which pictures or symbols represent words
Egyptian writing uses the principle of the rebus, substituting pictures for words.
recalcitrant
/rɪˈkælsɪtrənt/
resisting authority or control
The officer had no choice but to recommend that the recalcitrant soldier be court-martialed.
recant
/rɪˈkænt/
to retract a statement or opinion
The bishop told the theologian that he must recant his heretical teaching or risk excommunication.
recluse
/n. ˈrɛklus, rɪˈklus; adj. rɪˈklus, ˈrɛklus/
person who lives in seclusion and often in soltitude
The monk spent three years of his life as a recluse, praying and meditating.
recondite
/ˈrɛkənˌdaɪt, rɪˈkɒndaɪt/
dealing with very profound, difficult, or abstruse subject matter
Many classical and biblical references known to educated nineteenth-century readers are now considered recondite by most readers.
redoubtable
/rɪˈdaʊtəbəl/
that is to be feared; formidable; commanding or evoking respect, reverence, or the like
As a result of winning 95% of her cases, the prosecutor has earned a reputation as a redoubtable attorney.
refractory
/rɪˈfræktəri/
stubborn; unmanageable; resisting ordinary methods of treatment
The general practitioner called in specialists to help determine the cause of the patient’s refractory illness.
refulgent
brightly shining; resplendent
On the queen’s neck was a necklace of jewels, in the middle of which was a large, refulgent diamond.
refute
to contradict; disprove
The eighteenth-century English author Samuel Johnson claimed to have refuted the philosophy of idealism by kicking a large stone.
regale
to entertain
Former U.S. presidents Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton often regaled visitors with amusing political anecdotes.
relegate
to consign to an inferior position; 降格する、格下げする
Idealist philosophers are a common target of satire; however, instead of relegating them all to the garbage can, one should reflect that thinkers such as Plato and Kant have given humanity some of its most profound ideas.
remonstrate
/rɪˈmɒnstreɪt/
to object or protest
Minority members of the committee remonstrated with the majority members, saying that the proposal was unjust; nevertheless, it was approved.
renege
/rɪˈnɪg, -ˈnɛg, -ˈnig/
to go back on one’s word; 〔約束などを〕破る、守らない
Generally, if one party to an agreement reneges on its contractual obligations, it must provide appropriate compensation to the other party.
reparation
/ˌrɛpəˈreɪʃən/
the making of amends for wrong or injury done; compensation
The judge said she would not sentence the man to jail on the condition that he pay full reparation to the family hurt by his crime.
repine
fret(思い悩む、くよくよする); complain
The president told the congressional representative he should stop repining over the lost opportunity and join the majority in exploring new ones.
reprise
n.v. repetition, especially of a piece of music
The standing ovation at the end of the set meant that the band had little choice but to reprise a few of their most popular tunes.
reproach
to find fault with; blame
The speaker in Andrew Marvell’s poem “To His Coy Mistress” reproaches his beloved for ignoring the passing of time and for not being willing to physically express her love for him.
reprobate
/ˈrɛprəˌbeɪt/
morally unprincipled person; 堕落者
The social worker refused to give up hope of reforming the criminal who was generally regarded as a reprobate.
repudiate
/rɪˈpyudiˌeɪt/
to reject as having no authority; 否定する、拒絶する
In the 1960s, many black leaders such as Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael repudiated integration and nonviolence in favor of black separatism and passive resistance in the fight for civil rights.
rescind
/rɪˈsɪnd/
to cancel
The salesperson said he would rescind his offer to sell the goods at a 10% discount unless he received full payment within 24 hours.
resolve
/rɪˈzɒlv/
n.v. determination; firmness of purpose
President Abraham Lincoln displayed remarkable resolve in preventing the Confederate states from seceding.
reticent
/ˈrɛtəsənt/
not speaking freely; reserved; reluctant
Many people in the west are reticent to criticize science, which in the view of many has become a sacred cow.
reverent
/ˈrɛvərənt, ˈrɛvrənt/
expressing deep respect; worshipful
The biologist Loren Eisely had what could be described as a reverent attitude toward nature.
riposte
/rɪˈpoʊst/
a quick, sharp return in speech or action;
The commander decided that the enemy attack must be countered with a quick riposte.
rococo
/rəˈkoʊkoʊ, ˌroʊkəˈkoʊ/ Show Spelled
excessively ornate; highly decorated; style of architecture in eighteenth-century Europe
The authors often wrote in a rich, almost rococo style.
rubric
title or heading; category; established mode of procedure or conduct; protocol
The data from the experiment was so diverse that the scientist decided to design a new rubric to organize it.
rue
to regret
The judge told the convicted man that he would come to rue his decision to commit the crime.
ruse
/ruz/
trick; crafty stratagem;
In July, 1999, a group of Christians from the United Kingdom traveled to various countries in which Crusaders had massacred people to apologize; however, many of the Moslems spurned this overture, believing it to be another Crusade in the form of a ruse.
sage
/seɪdʒ/
wise
Samuel Johnson gave this sage, albeit hard advice to writers wishing to improve their style…
salacious
/səˈleɪʃəs/
lascivious; lustful; 好色な、わいせつな
The school board decided that the book is too salacious to be in the school library.
salubrious
/səˈlubriəs/
healthful
The salubrious effects of exercise on both physical and mental health have been well documented.
