Deck004

Question 1

ca·pitu·late ​

verb
BrE /kəˈpɪtʃuleɪt/
NAmE /kəˈpɪtʃuleɪt/

Answer 1

1 [intransitive] capitulate (to somebody/​something) to agree to do something that you have been refusing to do for a long time
➔ SYNONYM ​give in (to somebody/​something)
➔ SYNONYM ​yield
 They were finally forced to capitulate to the terroristsʼ demands.
2 [intransitive] capitulate (to somebody/​something) to stop resisting an enemy and accept that you are defeated
➔ SYNONYM ​surrender
 The town capitulated after a three-week siege.

Question 2

cap·acious ​

adjective
BrE /kəˈpeɪʃəs/
NAmE /kəˈpeɪʃəs/
formal

Answer 2

having a lot of space to put things in
➔ SYNONYM ​roomy
 capacious pockets

Question 3

cal·umny ​

```
noun
BrE /ˈkæləmni/
NAmE /ˈkæləmni/
pl. cal·umnies
(formal)
~~~

Answer 3

1 [countable] a false statement about a person that is made to damage their reputation
 He accused the press of publishing vicious calumnies.
2 [uncountable] the act of making such a statement
➔ SYNONYM ​slander
 a campaign of gossip and calumny

Question 4

brusque ​

adjective
BrE /bruːsk/ , /brʊsk/
NAmE /brʌsk/

Answer 4

using very few words and sounding rude
➔ SYNONYM ​abrupt, curt
 The doctor spoke in a brusque tone.

Question 5

ar·ro·gate ​

verb
BrE /ˈærəɡeɪt/
NAmE /ˈærəɡeɪt/

Answer 5

arrogate something (to yourself) (formal) to claim or take something that you have no right to
 I do not arrogate to myself the right to decide.

Question 6

ar·dour	
(especially US English ardor)
​
noun
BrE /ˈɑːdə(r)/ 
NAmE /ˈɑːrdər/ 
[uncountable]
(formal)

Answer 6

very strong feelings of enthusiasm or love
➔ SYNONYM ​passion
 His revolutionary ardour was an example to his followers.
 romantic ardour

Question 7

ap·pro·ba·tion ​

```
noun
BrE /ˌæprəˈbeɪʃn/
NAmE /ˌæprəˈbeɪʃn/
[uncountable]
formal
~~~

Answer 7

approval or agreement
 a shout of approbation
 The King received the official approbation of the church.

Question 8

ante·di·lu·vian ​

adjective
BrE /ˌæntidɪˈluːviən/
NAmE /ˌæntidɪˈluːviən/
formal or humorous

Answer 8

very old-fashioned. Before the great flood.

 criticism of Britainʼs antediluvian blasphemy law

Question 9

anath·ema ​

```
noun
BrE /əˈnæθəmə/
NAmE /əˈnæθəmə/
[uncountable, countable, usually singular]
formal
~~~

Answer 9

a thing or an idea which you hate because it is the opposite of what you believe
 Racial prejudice is (an) anathema to me.

Question 10

allay ​

verb
BrE /əˈleɪ/
NAmE /əˈleɪ/

Answer 10

allay something (formal) to make something, especially a feeling, less strong
 to allay fears/​concern/​suspicion

Question 11

alac·rity ​

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noun
BrE /əˈlækrəti/
NAmE /əˈlækrəti/
[uncountable]
formal
~~~

Answer 11

great willingness or enthusiasm

 They accepted the offer with alacrity.

Question 12

acu·men ​

noun
BrE /ˈækjəmən/ , /əˈkjuːmən/
NAmE /ˈækjəmən/ , /əˈkjuːmən/
[uncountable]

Answer 12

the ability to understand and decide things quickly and well
 business/​commercial/​financial acumen
 He had demonstrated considerable business acumen.
 She has great financial acumen.

Question 13

ab·struse ​

adjective
BrE /əbˈstruːs/ , /æbˈstruːs/
NAmE /əbˈstruːs/ , /æbˈstruːs/
formal, often disapproving

Answer 13

difficult to understand

 an abstruse argument

Question 14

ab·ro·gate ​

verb
BrE /ˈæbrəɡeɪt/
NAmE /ˈæbrəɡeɪt/

Answer 14

abrogate something (specialist) to officially end a law, an agreement, etc.
➔ SYNONYM ​repeal
 The rule has been abrogated by mutual consent.

Question 15

ab·jure ​

verb
BrE /əbˈdʒʊə(r)/
NAmE /əbˈdʒʊr/

Answer 15

abjure something (formal) to promise publicly that you will give up or reject a belief or a way of behaving
➔ SYNONYM ​renounce

Question 16

abet ​

verb
BrE /əˈbet/
NAmE /əˈbet/

Answer 16

abet somebody to help or encourage somebody to do something wrong
 He was abetted in the deception by his wife.

Idioms
ˌaid and aˈbet
(law) to help somebody to do something illegal or wrong
 She stands accused of aiding and abetting the crime.
 He was charged with aiding and abetting the robbers.

Question 17

abase ​

verb
BrE /əˈbeɪs/
NAmE /əˈbeɪs/

Answer 17

abase yourself (formal) to act in a way that shows that you accept somebodyʼs power over you

Question 18

co·alesce ​

verb
BrE /ˌkəʊəˈles/
NAmE /ˌkoʊəˈles/

Answer 18

[intransitive] coalesce (into/​with something) (formal) to come together to form one larger group, substance, etc.
➔ SYNONYM ​amalgamate
 The puddles had coalesced into a small stream.
 the markets have coalesced into a single global market.

Question 19

gre·gari·ous ​

adjective
BrE /ɡrɪˈɡeəriəs/
NAmE /ɡrɪˈɡeriəs/

Answer 19

1 liking to be with other people
➔ SYNONYM ​sociable
 Sheʼs very outgoing and gregarious.
 Hugh was a popular and gregarious man.
2 (biology) (of animals or birds) living in groups

Question 20

ef·front·ery ​

```
noun
BrE /ɪˈfrʌntəri/
NAmE /ɪˈfrʌntəri/
[uncountable]
formal
~~~

Answer 20

behaviour that is confident and very rude, without any feeling of shame
➔ SYNONYM ​nerve
 He had the effrontery to accuse me of lying!

Question 21

dila·tory ​

adjective
BrE /ˈdɪlətəri/
NAmE /ˈdɪlətɔːri/

Answer 21

dilatory (in doing something) (formal) not acting quickly enough; causing delay
 The government has been dilatory in dealing with the problem of unemployment.

Question 22

con·son·ant ​

adjective
BrE /ˈkɒnsənənt/
NAmE /ˈkɑːnsənənt/

Answer 22

consonant with something (formal) agreeing with or being the same as something else

Question 23

con·flu·ence ​

noun
BrE /ˈkɒnfluəns/
NAmE /ˈkɑːnfluəns/
[usually singular]

Answer 23

1 (specialist) the place where two rivers flow together and become one
 the confluence of the Blue Nile and the White Nile
2 (formal) the fact of two or more things becoming one
 a confluence of social factors

Question 24

ca·jole ​

verb
BrE /kəˈdʒəʊl/
NAmE /kəˈdʒoʊl/
[transitive, intransitive]

Answer 24

to make somebody do something by talking to them and being very nice to them
➔ SYNONYM ​coax
 cajole somebody (into something/​into doing something) He cajoled me into agreeing to do the work.
 cajole something out of somebody I managed to cajole his address out of them.
 (+ speech) ‘Please say yes,ʼ she cajoled.
 Her voice was soft and cajoling.

Question 25

co·agu·late ​

verb
BrE /kəʊˈæɡjuleɪt/
NAmE /koʊˈæɡjuleɪt/

Answer 25

[intransitive, transitive] coagulate (something) if a liquid coagulates or something coagulates it, it becomes thick and partly solid
➔ SYNONYM ​congeal
 Blood began to coagulate around the edges of the wound.