Deck A

Question 1

abash

Answer 1

cause to feel embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed :she was not abashed at being caught.

Question 2

abate

Answer 2

verb [ no obj. ]
(of something perceived as hostile, threatening, or negative) become less intense or widespread: the storm suddenly abated.
• [ with obj. ] cause to become smaller or less intense: nothing abated his crusading zeal.
• [ with obj. ] Law lessen, reduce, or remove (esp. a nuisance): this action would not have been sufficient to abate the odor nuisance.

Question 3

abdicated

Answer 3

(of a monarch) renounce one’s throne: in 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated as German emperor

Question 4

abducted

Answer 4

take (someone) away illegally by force or deception; kidnap: the millionaire who disappeared may have been abducted.

Question 5

abhor

Answer 5

regard with disgust and hatred: professional tax preparers abhor a flat tax because it would dry up their business.

Question 6

abides by

Answer 6

accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation): I said I would abide by their decision.

Question 7

abjure

Answer 7

solemnly renounce (a belief, cause, or claim): his refusal to abjure the Catholic faith.

Question 8

abominable

Answer 8

causing moral revulsion: the uprising was suppressed with abominable cruelty.
• very bad or unpleasant: a cup of abominable tea

Question 9

abounds

Answer 9

exist in large numbers or amounts: rumors of a further scandal abound.

Question 10

abrupt

Answer 10

sudden and unexpected: I was surprised by the abrupt change of subject | our round of golf came to an abrupt end on the 13th hole.

Question 11

abstain from

Answer 11

restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something: abstaining from chocolate.
• refrain from drinking alcohol: most pregnant women abstain or drink very little.

Question 12

abstruse

Answer 12

difficult to understand; obscure: an abstruse philosophical inquiry.

Question 13

abyss

Answer 13

a deep or seemingly bottomless chasm: a rope led down into the dark abyss.
• a wide or profound difference between people; a gulf: the abyss between the two nations.

Question 14

accelerate

Answer 14

(of a vehicle or other physical object) begin to move more quickly: the car accelerated toward her.
• increase in amount or extent: inflation started to accelerate | [ with obj. ] : the key question is whether stress accelerates aging

Question 15

accomplice

Answer 15

a person who helps another commit a crime.

Question 16

accosted

Answer 16

approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively: reporters accosted him in the street | he was accosted by a thief, demanding his money or his life | a man tried to accost the girl on her way to school.

Question 17

acme

Answer 17

the point at which someone or something is best, perfect, or most successful: physics is the acme of scientific knowledge.

Question 18

Infuriate

Answer 18

to make furious; enrage.

Question 19

Augment

Answer 19

to make larger; enlarge in size, number, strength, or extent; increase: His salary is augmented by a small inheritance.
Music.
to raise (the upper note of an interval or chord) by a half step.
to double the note values of (a theme): In the fugue’s development the subject is augmented.
Grammar. to add an augment to.
Heraldry. to grant an augmentation to (a coat of arms).
—verb (used without object)

to become larger.
—noun

Grammar. a prefixed vowel or a lengthening of the initial vowel that characterizes certain forms in the nonpresent inflection of verbs in Greek, Sanskrit, Armenian, and Phrygian.

Question 20

Usurped

Answer 20

—verb (used with object)

to seize and hold (a position, office, power, etc.) by force or without legal right: The pretender tried to usurp the throne.
to use without authority or right; employ wrongfully: The magazine usurped copyrighted material.
—verb (used without object)

to commit forcible or illegal seizure of an office, power, etc.; encroach.

Question 21

Deviation

Answer 21

the act of deviating.
departure from a standard or norm.
Statistics. the difference between one of a set of values and some fixed value, usually the mean of the set.
Navigation. the error of a magnetic compass, as that of a ship, on a given heading as a result of local magnetism. Compare variation (def 8).
Optics.
Also called deflection. the bending of rays of light away from a straight line.
angle of deviation.
departure or divergence from an established dogma or ideology, especially a Communist one.

Question 22

Conformity

Answer 22

action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, practices, etc.
correspondence in form, nature, or character; agreement, congruity, or accordance.
compliance or acquiescence; obedience.
(often initial capital letter) compliance with the usages of an established church, especially the Church of England.
Geology. the relationship between adjacent conformable strata. Compare unconformity

Question 23

Scorn

Answer 23

open or unqualified contempt; disdain: His face and attitude showed the scorn he felt.
an object of derision or contempt.
a derisive or contemptuous action or speech.
—verb (used with object)

to treat or regard with contempt or disdain: They scorned the old beggar.
to reject, refuse, or ignore with contempt or disdain: She scorned my help.
—verb (used without object)

to mock; jeer.

Question 24

Adheres to

Answer 24

to stay attached; stick fast; cleave; cling (usually followed by to ): The mud adhered to his shoes.
Physics. (of two or more dissimilar substances) to be united by a molecular force acting in the area of contact.
to be devoted in support or allegiance; be attached as a follower or upholder (usually followed by to ): to adhere to a party.
to hold closely or firmly (usually followed by to ): to adhere to a plan.
Obsolete. to be consistent.
—verb (used with object)

to cause to adhere; make stick: Glue will adhere the tiles to the wallboard.

Question 25

Cherish

Answer 25

to hold or treat as dear; feel love for: to cherish one’s native land.
to care for tenderly; nurture: to cherish a child.
to cling fondly or inveterately to: to cherish a memory.

Question 26

Classy

Answer 26

of high class, rank, or grade; stylish; admirably smart; elegant.

Question 27

Teems with

Answer 27

to abound or swarm; be prolific or fertile (usually followed by with ).
Obsolete . to be or become pregnant; bring forth young.
— verb (used with object)

Obsolete . to produce (offspring).

Question 28

Firmament

Answer 28

the vault of heaven; sky.

Question 29

Ecstasy

Answer 29

rapturous delight.
an overpowering emotion or exaltation; a state of sudden, intense feeling.
the frenzy of poetic inspiration.
mental transport or rapture from the contemplation of divine things.

Question 30

Foe

Answer 30

a person who feels enmity, hatred, or malice toward another; enemy: a bitter foe.
a military enemy; hostile army.
a person belonging to a hostile army or nation.
an opponent in a game or contest; adversary: a political foe.
a person who is opposed in feeling, principle, etc., to something: a foe to progress in civil rights.
a thing that is harmful to or destructive of something: Sloth is the foe of health.

Question 31

Confederate

Answer 31

united in a league, alliance, or conspiracy.
(initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the Confederate States of America: the Confederate army.
—noun

a person, group, nation, etc., united with others in a confederacy; an ally.
an accomplice, especially in a mischievous or criminal act.
(initial capital letter) U.S. History. a supporter of the Confederate States of America.
—verb (used with object), verb (used without object)

to unite in a league, alliance, or conspiracy.

Question 32

Ebb

Answer 32

the flowing back of the tide as the water returns to the sea (opposed to flood, flow ).
a flowing backward or away; decline or decay: the ebb of a once great nation.
a point of decline: His fortunes were at a low ebb.
—verb (used without object)

to flow back or away, as the water of a tide (opposed to flow ).
to decline or decay; fade away: His life is gradually ebbing.

Question 33

Apex

Answer 33

—noun, plural a·pex·es, a·pi·ces [ey-puh-seez, ap-uh-] Show IPA.

the tip, point, or vertex; summit.
climax; peak; acme: His election to the presidency was the apex of his career.
Astronomy, solar apex.
APEX1
a type of international air fare offering reduced rates for extended stays that are booked