English Vocabulary (2/5 Quiz)

Question 1

ad infinitum (adv.)

Answer 1

endlessly (e.g., Children who hear a favorite story read over an over ad infinitum are learning about language.)

Question 2

apportion (v.)

Answer 2

to divide and give out in shares (e.g., The aging king decided to apportion the lands of his vast kingdom among his three daughters.)

Question 3

bona fide (adj.)

Answer 3

genuine; sincere (e.g., The appraiser studied the old book and declared it to be a bona fide first edition of Moby-Dick.)

Question 4

buoyant (adj.) - two definitions

Answer 4

1) able to float easily; able to hold things up (e.g., a buoyant material)
2) cheerful, hopeful (e.g., We were weary and anxious to get home, but our friends buoyant spirits kept us going.)

Question 5

clique (n.)

Answer 5

a small, exclusive group of people (e.g., high school cliques)

Question 6

concede (v.)

Answer 6

to admit as true; to yield, submit (e.g., When she noted that the economy was actually improving, he grudgingly/reluctantly conceded the point. [=he admitted that she was right])

Question 7

congenial (adj.)

Answer 7

getting on well with others; agreeable, pleasant (e.g., a congenial [=genial] host/companion; She was congenial and easygoing.)

Question 8

lofty (adj.) - two definitions

Answer 8

1) very high (e.g., lofty buildings)

2) noble (e.g., He set lofty goals for himself as a teacher.)

Question 9

migration (n.)

Answer 9

a movement from one country or region to another (e.g., He migrates from New York to Florida each winter.)

Question 10

perceive (v.)

Answer 10

to be aware of through the senses, observe; to grasp mentally (e.g., I perceived [=noticed] that she had been crying. She perceived herself as an independent woman. = She perceived herself to be an independent woman.)

Question 11

perverse (adj.)

Answer 11

inclined to against what is expected; stubborn; turned away from what is good and proper (e.g., their perverse cruelty to animals)

Question 12

prelude (n.)

Answer 12

an introduction; that which comes before or leads off (e.g., he dark clouds were a prelude to the storm.)

Question 13

rancid (adj.)

Answer 13

stale, spoiled (e.g., Some foods become/go/turn rancid quickly.)

Question 14

rustic - two definitions (adj. and n.)

Answer 14

(adj. ) country-like; simple, plain; awkward (e.g., We rented a rustic cabin with no electricity or running water, twenty miles from town.)
(n. ) one who lives in the country (e.g., On the trail we met an amiable old rustic carrying a fishing pole and a string of trout he’d caught.)

Question 15

sever (v.)

Answer 15

to separate, divide into parts (e.g., He severed the lowest tree limbs.)

Question 16

sordid (adj.) - two definitions

Answer 16

1) wretchedly poor (e.g., sordid living conditions)

2) run-down; mean or selfish; dishonest (e.g., He shared the sordid details of his past.)

Question 17

untenable (adj.)

Answer 17

not capable of being held or defended; impossible to maintain (e.g., an untenable argument)

Question 18

versatile (adj.)

Answer 18

able to do many things well; capable of many uses (e.g., She is a versatile athlete who participates in many different sports.)

Question 19

vindicate (v)

Answer 19

to clear from hint or charge of wrongdoing; to defend successfully against opposition; to justify (e.g., They have evidence that will vindicate [=exonerate] her.)

Question 20

wane (v.)

Answer 20

to lose size, strength, or power (e.g., The scandal caused her popularity to wane.)