First Law Flashcards
Florid
adjective
1. having a red or flushed complexion.
“a stout man with a florid face”
2. excessively intricate or elaborate.
“a florid, baroque building”
3. (of language) using unusual words or complicated rhetorical devices.
“his florid and exciting prose”
MEDICINE
4. (of a disease or its manifestations) occurring in a fully developed form.
“florid symptoms of psychiatric disorder”
Gorse
noun
a yellow-flowered shrub of the pea family, the leaves of which are modified to form spines, native to western Europe and North Africa.
“sheep graze on undulating green hills blooming with yellow gorse”
Blithe
adjective
1. showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper.
“a blithe disregard for the rules of the road”
LITERARY
2. happy or carefree.
“a blithe seaside comedy”
Restive
adjective
(of a person) unable to remain still, silent, or submissive, especially because of boredom or dissatisfaction.
“the crowd had been waiting for hours and many were becoming restive”
(of a horse) stubbornly standing still or moving backwards or sideways; refusing to advance.
“both their horses became restive at once”
Cavort
verb
gerund or present participle: cavorting
jump or dance around excitedly.
“the players cavorted about the pitch”
INFORMAL
engage enthusiastically in sexual or disreputable pursuits.
“he’d been cavorting with a hooker”
Auspice
noun ARCHAIC
a divine or prophetic token.
Carping
adjective
continually complaining or finding fault about trivial matters; difficult to please.
“she has silenced the carping critics with a successful debut tour”
noun
continual complaining or finding fault about trivial matters.
“he did not enjoy the constant carping of reviewers”
Ignominy
noun
public shame or disgrace.
“the ignominy of being imprisoned”
Gormless
adjective INFORMAL•BRITISH
lacking sense or initiative; foolish.
“a constantly grinning, rather gormless boy”
Whinge
BRITISH
verb
complain persistently and in a peevish or irritating way.
“stop whingeing and get on with it!”
noun
an act of complaining persistently and peevishly.
“I can’t help having a whinge about the referee though”
Stooge
noun
DEROGATORY
1. a subordinate used by another to do unpleasant routine work.
“party stooges put there to do a job on behalf of central office”
2. a performer whose act involves being the butt of a comedian’s jokes.
“the stooge is offstage”
verb
INFORMAL
1. move about aimlessly; drift or cruise.
“she stooged around in the bathroom for a while”
2. perform a role that involves being the butt of a comedian’s jokes.
“his accent became popular through his stooging for comedians”
Gable
noun
1. the triangular upper part of a wall at the end of a ridged roof.
“a house with mock-Tudor gables”
2. a wall topped with a gable.
*$3. a gable-shaped canopy over a window or door.**
Rife
adjective
(especially of something undesirable) of common occurrence; widespread.
“male chauvinism was rife in medicine”
full of.
“the streets were rife with rumour and fear”
adverb
in an unchecked or widespread manner.
“speculation ran rife that he was an arms dealer”
August
adjective
respected and impressive.
“she was in august company”
Besmirch
verb
1. damage (someone’s reputation).
“he had besmirched the good name of his family”
LITERARY
2. make (something) dirty or discoloured.
“the ground was besmirched with blood”
Embrasure
noun
an opening in a wall or parapet which is bevelled or splayed out on the inside, typically one around a window or door.
Gossamer
noun
1. a fine, filmy substance consisting of cobwebs spun by small spiders, seen especially in autumn.
- a light, thin, and insubstantial or delicate material or substance.
“a fine gossamer fabric that clung to her skin”
Gentry
noun
people of good social position, specifically the class of people next below the nobility in position and birth.
“a member of the landed gentry”
Penal
adjective
1. relating to, used for, or prescribing the punishment of offenders under the legal system.
“the campaign for penal reform”
- (of an act or offence) punishable by law.
- (especially of taxation or interest rates) extremely severe.
“avoid borrowing at penal rates of interest”
Emphatic
adjective
1. expressing something forcibly and clearly.
“the children were emphatic that they would like to repeat the experience”
- (of an action or its result) definite and clear.
“an emphatic World Cup win” - (of a word or syllable) bearing the stress.
LINGUISTICS
4. (of certain Arabic consonants) pronounced with both dental articulation and constriction of the pharynx.
noun LINGUISTICS
an emphatic consonant.
Festoon
noun
1. a chain or garland of flowers, leaves, or ribbons, hung in a curve as a decoration.
- a carved or moulded ornament representing a festoon.
- a Eurasian butterfly or moth patterned with dark arcs on a lighter background.
verb
adorn (a place) with chains, garlands, or other decorations.
“the staffroom was festooned with balloons and streamers”
Stodgy
adjective BRITISH
1. (of food) heavy, filling, and high in carbohydrates.
“he loves stodgy puddings”
- dull and uninspired; lacking originality or excitement.
“some of the material is rather stodgy and top-heavy with facts”
Bedraggled
adjective
dishevelled.
“we got there, tired and bedraggled”
Epaulette
noun
an ornamental shoulder piece on an item of clothing, especially on the coat or jacket of a military uniform.
“an army greatcoat with fancy epaulettes and brass buttons”
Rowel
noun
a spiked revolving disc at the end of a spur.
verb
use a rowel to urge on (a horse).
“he rowelled his horse on as fast as he could”
Filigree
noun
ornamental work of fine (typically gold or silver) wire formed into delicate tracery.
“filigree earrings”
Punctilious
adjective
showing great attention to detail or correct behaviour.
“he was punctilious in providing every amenity for his guests”
Churlish
adjective
rude, unfriendly, and unpleasant.
“they invited me to dinner and I thought it would be churlish to refuse”
Scintillate
verb
emit flashes of light; sparkle.
“the sleek boat seemed to scintillate with a dark blue light”
PHYSICS
fluoresce momentarily when struck by a charged particle or photon.
“a zinc sulphide screen scintillated when it was struck by an alpha particle”
Sundry
adjective
of various kinds; several.
“prawn and garlic vol-au-vents and sundry other delicacies”
noun
various items not important enough to be mentioned individually.
“a drugstore selling magazines, newspapers, and sundries”
AUSTRALIAN•CRICKET
a run scored other than from a hit with the bat, credited to the batting side rather than to a batter; an extra.
Salutary salutary
adjective
(especially with reference to something unwelcome or unpleasant) producing good effects; beneficial.
“it failed to draw salutary lessons from Britain’s loss of its colonies”
Similar:
beneficial
good
good for one
advantageous
profitable
productive
helpful
useful
of use
of service
valuable
worthwhile
practical
relevant
timely
Opposite:
unwelcome
irrelevant
ARCHAIC
health-giving.
“the salutary Atlantic air”
Chattel
noun
(in general use) a personal possession.
LAW
an item of property other than freehold land, including tangible goods ( chattels personal ) and leasehold interests ( chattels real ).
Ordure
noun
excrement; dung.
Similar:
excrement
excreta
dung
manure
muck
droppings
faeces
stools
cowpats
guano
night soil
sewage
dirt
filth
jakes
doings
scat
pooh
doo-doo
jobbie
cack
whoopsie
big jobs
poop
feculence
egesta
View 3 vulgar slang words
something regarded as vile or abhorrent.
“can you give credence to this ordure?”
Unrepentant
adjective
showing no regret for one’s wrongdoings.
“he was unrepentant and said that his comments were completely accurate”
Hawser
noun
a thick rope or cable for mooring or towing a ship.
Sedge
noun
a grasslike plant with triangular stems and inconspicuous flowers, growing typically in wet ground. Sedges are widely distributed throughout temperate and cold regions.
Lecherous
adjective
having or showing excessive or offensive sexual desire.
“she ignored his lecherous gaze”
Forswear
verb
past participle: forsworn
1.
FORMAL
agree to give up or do without.
“the country has not forsworn nuclear weapons”
Similar:
renounce
swear off
forgo
abjure
reject
relinquish
abstain from
refrain from
shun
avoid
eschew
do without
go without
steer clear of
give a wide berth to
have nothing to do with
decline
refuse
repudiate
spurn
give up
dispense with
stop
cease
finish
discontinue
break off
drop
cut out
kick
quit
jack in
Opposite:
adhere to
persist with
2.
ARCHAIC
commit perjury; swear falsely.
“I swore that I would lead us safely home and I do not mean to be forsworn”
Expound
verb
present and explain (a theory or idea) in detail.
“he was expounding a powerful argument”
explain the meaning of (a literary or doctrinal work).
“the abbess expounded the scriptures to her nuns”
Fallow
adjective
(of farmland) ploughed and harrowed but left for a period without being sown in order to restore its fertility or to avoid surplus production.
“incentives for farmers to let land lie fallow”
(of a period of time) characterized by inaction; unproductive.
“long fallow periods when nothing seems to happen”
(of a sow) not pregnant.
noun
a piece of fallow land.
“a great estate was usually divided between fallows, grazed stubble, and wheat”
a pale brown or reddish yellow colour.
“possible feather colours include fallows, pieds, and yellows”
verb
leave (land) fallow for a period.
“fallow the ground for a week or so after digging”
Rotunda
noun
1. a round building or room, especially one with a dome.
PHILIPPINES
2. a roundabout.
“a rotonda that exits on four roads into Greater Manila”
Chamberlain
noun
HISTORICAL
an officer who managed the household of a monarch or noble.
BRITISH
an officer who received revenue on behalf of a corporation or public body.
Bereave
verb
be deprived of a close relation or friend through their death.
“she had recently been bereaved”
Moulding
noun
a shaped strip of wood or other material fitted as a decorative architectural feature, especially in a cornice.
“a decorative plaster moulding placed at the centre of a ceiling”
Ingrate
noun
an ungrateful person.
“the ingrates find something wrong with everything”
adjective
ungrateful.
Paddock
noun
a small field or enclosure where horses are kept or exercised.
an enclosure adjoining a racecourse or track where horses or cars are gathered and displayed before a race.
“I went across the course to see the horses in the paddock”
AUSTRALIAN•NEW ZEALAND
a field or plot of land enclosed by fencing or defined by natural boundaries.
“the sheep have returned to their previously grazed paddocks”
verb
keep (a horse) in a paddock.
“horses paddocked on a hillside”
Tawny
adjective
of an orange-brown or yellowish-brown colour.
“tawny eyes”
noun
an orange-brown or yellowish-brown colour.
“pine needles turning from tawny to amber”
Vintner
noun
1. a wine merchant.
NORTH AMERICAN
2. a producer of wine; a winegrower.
Parable
noun
a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.
“the parable of the blind men and the elephant”
Acquit
verb
1. free (someone) from a criminal charge by a verdict of not guilty.
“she was acquitted on all counts”
- conduct oneself or perform in a specified way.
“the goalkeeper acquitted himself well”
ARCHAIC
3. discharge (a duty or responsibility).
“they acquitted themselves of their charge with vigilance”
Suppurate
verb
undergo the formation of pus; fester.
Peremptory
adjective
1. insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way.
“‘Just do it!’ came the peremptory reply”
LAW
2. not open to appeal or challenge; final.
“a peremptory order of the court”
Gosling
noun
a young goose.
Bonhomie
noun
cheerful friendliness; geniality.
“he exuded good humour and bonhomie”
Sallet
noun HISTORICAL
a light helmet with an outward curve extending over the back of the neck, worn as part of medieval armour.
Dowdy
adjective
(of a person or their clothes) unfashionable and unstylish in appearance (typically used of a woman).
“she could achieve the kind of casual chic which made every other woman around her look dowdy”
Burg
noun
1. an ancient or medieval fortress or walled town.
“the fortified burg was a centre of early growth”
INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
2. a town or city.
“they performed in any burg big enough to have a theatre”
Fettle
noun
condition.
“Marguerite was in fine fettle”
verb
trim or clean the rough edges of (a metal casting or a piece of pottery) before firing.
NORTHERN ENGLISH
make or repair (something).
Ambivalent
adjective
having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
“some loved her, some hated her, few were ambivalent about her”
Surcoat
noun HISTORICAL
a loose robe worn over armour.
a sleeveless garment worn as part of the insignia of an order of knighthood.
an outer coat of rich material.
Pulpit
noun
a raised enclosed platform in a church or chapel from which the preacher delivers a sermon.
“many ministers delivered political guidance from their pulpits”
religious teaching as expressed in sermons.
“the movies could rival the pulpit as an agency moulding the ideas of the mass public”
a raised platform in the bows of a fishing boat or whaler.
a guard rail enclosing a small area at the bow of a yacht.
Wattle
noun
a material for making fences, walls, etc., consisting of rods or stakes interlaced with twigs or branches.
DIALECT•BRITISH
a wicker hurdle.
AUSTRALIAN
an acacia.
a coloured fleshy lobe hanging from the head or neck of the turkey and some other birds.
verb
make, enclose, or fill up with wattle.
Ostler
noun HISTORICAL
a man employed to look after the horses of people staying at an inn.
Quaff
verb
drink (something, especially an alcoholic drink) heartily.
“he quaffed pint after pint of good Berkshire ale”
noun DATED•INFORMAL
an alcoholic drink.
“porter is a dark, malty quaff”
Rump
noun
1. the hind part of the body of a mammal or the lower back of a bird.
“the harrier is distinguished by its prominent white rump”
HUMOROUS
2. a person’s buttocks.
“he removed his hand from Shirley’s rump”
- a small or unimportant remnant of something originally larger.
“once the profitable enterprises have been sold the unprofitable rump will be left”
short for Rump Parliament.
Midden
noun
1. a dunghill or refuse heap.
- short for kitchen midden.
Inveterate
adjective
1. having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.
“an inveterate gambler”
- (of a feeling or habit) long-established and unlikely to change.
“the inveterate hostility between the two countries was not easily eradicated”
Enmity
noun
a state or feeling of active opposition or hostility.
“decades of enmity between the two countries”
Usury
noun
1. the action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest.
“the medieval prohibition on usury”
ARCHAIC
2. interest at unreasonably high rates.
Eulogize
verb
praise highly in speech or writing.
“he was eulogized as a rock star”
Rapacious
adjective
aggressively greedy or grasping.
“rapacious landlords”
Flounce
verb
go or move in an exaggeratedly impatient or angry manner.
“he stood up in a fury and flounced out”
noun
1. an exaggerated action intended to express annoyance or impatience.
“she left the room with a flounce”
- a wide ornamental strip of material gathered and sewn to a skirt or dress; a frill.
Flouche
adjective
disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way.
“the louche world of the theatre”
Verbiage
noun
1. excessively lengthy or technical speech or writing.
“the basic idea here, despite all the verbiage, is simple”
US
2. the way in which something is expressed; wording or diction.
“we need to look at how the rule should be applied, based on the verbiage”
Canny
adjective
1. having or showing shrewdness and good judgement, especially in money or business matters.
“canny investors will switch banks if they think they are getting a raw deal”
NORTHERN ENGLISH•SCOTTISH
2. pleasant; nice.
“she’s a canny lass”
Dissolute
adjective
(of a person or a way of life) overindulging in sensual pleasures.
“unfortunately, his heir was feckless and dissolute”
Deportment
noun
BRITISH
1. the way a person stands and walks, particularly as an element of etiquette.
“poise is directly concerned with good deportment”
NORTH AMERICAN
2. a person’s behaviour or manners.
“there are team rules governing deportment on and off the field”
Warren
noun
1. a network of interconnecting rabbit burrows.
- a densely populated or labyrinthine building or district.
“a warren of narrow gas-lit streets”
HISTORICAL•BRITISH
3. an enclosed piece of land set aside for breeding game, especially rabbits.
Bunting
noun
1. an Old World seed-eating songbird related to the finches, typically having brown streaked plumage and a boldly marked head.
- a small New World songbird of the cardinal subfamily, the male of which is mainly or partly bright blue in colour.
- flags and other colourful festive decorations.
- a loosely woven fabric used to make bunting.
NORTH AMERICAN
5. a hooded sleeping bag for babies.
Surfeit
noun
1. an excessive amount of something.
“a surfeit of food and drink”
ARCHAIC
2. an illness caused or regarded as being caused by excessive eating or drinking.
“he died of a surfeit”
verb
1. cause (someone) to desire no more of something as a result of having consumed or done it to excess.
“I am surfeited with shopping”
ARCHAIC
2. consume too much of something.
“he never surfeited on rich wine”
Shrewish
adjective
bad-tempered or aggressively assertive (typically used of a woman).
“his shrewish wife”
Moot
adjective
1. subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty.
“whether they had been successful or not was a moot point”
- having little or no practical relevance, typically because the subject is too uncertain to allow a decision.
“the whole matter is becoming increasingly moot”
verb
1. raise (a question or topic) for discussion; suggest (an idea or possibility).
“the scheme was first mooted last October”
HISTORICAL
2. an assembly held for debate, especially in Anglo-Saxon and medieval times.
- a regular gathering of people having a common interest.
LAW
4. a mock judicial proceeding set up to examine a hypothetical case as an academic exercise.
“the object of a moot is to provide practice in developing an argument”
Intractable
adjective
1. hard to control or deal with.
“intractable economic problems”
- (of a person) difficult or stubborn.
Cornucopia
noun
horn of plenty.
