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English Vocalbulary > General Vocabulary 16 > Flashcards

General Vocabulary 16 Flashcards

1
Q

Domino (n)

A

Any of 28 small oblong pieces marked with 0–6 pips in each half.

Everyone will fall over like a row of dominoes.

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2
Q

Immiseration (n)

A

Economic impoverishment.

Rapid modernization had an impact on the level of urban immiseration.

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3
Q

Spruce (n)

A

A widespread coniferous tree which has a distinctive conical shape and hanging cones, widely grown for timber, pulp, and Christmas trees.

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4
Q

Rubegoldbergian (adj)

A

Achieving a simple objective by absurdly complicated means

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5
Q

Confederate (adj)

A

Joined by an agreement or treaty.

Some local groups united to form confederate councils.

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6
Q

Comeuppance (n)

A

A punishment or fate that someone deserves.

He got his comeuppance in the end.

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7
Q

Coldcocks (v)

A

To strike someone so forcefully that they are rendered unconscious.

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8
Q

Tattling (v)

A

Gossip idly or tell tales.

According to some tattling sources, he never quite gave her up.

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9
Q

Psychotherapeutic (adj)

A

Relating to or denoting the treatment of mental disorder by psychological rather than medical means.

Psychotherapeutic treatments for childhood anxiety disorders.

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10
Q

Granule (n)

A

A small compact particle of a substance.

Granules of sugar.

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11
Q

Compendium (n)

A

A collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject, especially in a book or other publication.

An invaluable compendium of useful information about language.

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12
Q

Rubberneck (v)

A

Turn one’s head to stare at something in a foolish manner.

A passer-by rubbernecking at the accident scene.

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13
Q

Schlemiel (n)

A

A stupid, awkward, or unlucky person.

He seems like the classic underdog schlemiel.

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14
Q

Excised (adj)

A

Having been cut out surgically.

Excised tissue.

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15
Q

Sub rosa (adj)

A

Happening or done in secret.

The committee operates sub rosa.

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16
Q

Thespian (n)

A

An actor or actress.

An ageing thespian.

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17
Q

Patter (n)

A

A repeated light tapping.

The splashing patter of steady rain.

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18
Q

Causation (n)

A

The relationship between cause and effect.

A strong association is not a proof of causation.

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19
Q

Schadenfreude (n)

A

Pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune.

A business that thrives on schadenfreude.

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20
Q

Intercessory (adj)

A

Having the function of interceding.

An intercessory prayer.

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21
Q

Rhetorician (n)

A

An expert in formal rhetoric

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22
Q

Onomatopoeia (n)

A

Formation of a word that phonetically imitates the sound that it describes such as “oink”, “meow”, “roar” and “chirp”.

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23
Q

Sesquipedalian (adj)

A

Characterized by long words or long winded sentences.

The sesquipedalian writings in scientific journals.

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24
Q

Smorgasbord (n)

A

A range of something; a variety.

The album is a smorgasbord of different musical styles.

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25
Unswerving (adj)
Not changing or becoming weaker. Unswerving loyalty to his people.
26
Perforce (adv)
Used to express necessity.
27
Salient (n)
Most important or noticeable. The salient features of the event were well captured in the book.
28
Drivel (n)
Nonsense Don’t talk such drivel.
29
Infantilize (v)
Treat (someone) as a child or in a way which denies their maturity in age or experience. My generation grew up in a time when women were infantilized and treated as property
30
Profane (adj)
Not showing respect for religious or holy things. A discussion was organized on topics both religious and profane.
31
Antediluvian (adj)
Very old fashioned OR before the period of the biblical floods. Gigantic bones of antediluvian animals.
32
Prophylactic (n)
A medicine, device or course of action that prevents or slows down the course of an illness.
33
Inter Alia(adv)
Among other things. The study includes, inter alia, computers, aircraft, and pharmaceuticals.
34
Lodestar (n)
A person or thing that serves as an inspiration or guide. She was his intellectual lodestar.
35
Habeas corpus (n)
A writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court, especially to secure the person's release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention. His application for habeas corpus.
36
Ad hominem (adv)
In a way that is directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining. These points come from some of our best information sources, who realize they'll be attacked ad hominem.
37
Epochal (adj)
Of or relating to an epoch- a period of time in history that’s important. The epochal health crises that brought the world to its knees.
38
Dilettantism (n)
Amateurish interest in a subcategory matter. This is dilettantism raised to the level of sociopathy.
39
Sociopath (n)
A person manifesting extreme abnormal behavior related to antisocial activities.
40
Factious (adj)
Relating or inclined to dissension. A factious country.
41
Facetious (adj)
Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humour; flippant. A facetious remark.
42
Factitious (adj)
Artificially created or developed. A largely factitious national identity.
43
Fatuous (adj)
Silly and pointless. A fatuous comment.
44
Repost (v)(n)
Post a piece of writing online for a second or further time. He left a comment on the thread which I think deserves more attention so I'm reposting it this morning.
45
Retort (n)
A sharp or witty reply. She opened her mouth to make a suitably cutting retort.
46
Underwrite (v)
Accept financial liability in case of damage or loss OR Pledge to buy all unsold shares in an IPO.
47
Subvention (n)
A grant of money given by a government to institutions or sections of the economy.
48
Dirigiste (adj)
A system of government which has a lot of control over economic matters. A dirigiste state which was commanded from the top.
49
Affable (adj)
Friendly and good natured. He makes for an affable companion.
50
Eminence grise (n)
A person having power or influence in a particular sphere without holding official position.
51
Driblets (n)
A thin stream or small drops off. Driblets of spittle run down from her mouth.
52
Grandee (n)
A person of rank or eminence.
53
Partisanship (n)
Prejudice in favor of a particular cause. An act of blatant political partisanship.
54
Laissez faire (n)
Policy of letting things take their own course without interference. A laissez faire attitude to life.
55
Flailing (adj)
Floundering clumsy and ineffective. Their flailing attempts to save the company.
56
Tinderbox (n)
A potentially explosive situation. The Balkans are the tinderbox of Europe.
57
Exegesis (n)
An explanation or critical interpretation of a scripture or other text. The task of biblical exegesis.
58
Lodestone (m)
Naturally magnetized portion of the mineral magnetite. Bombay was the lodestone of the country during the days of early independence.
59
Lemmings (n)
A small rat like rodent famed to commit mass suicides. They took to alcohol like lemmings to the sea.
60
Simulacra (n)
A representation or imitation of a person or thing. A small-scale simulacrum of a skyscraper
61
Epistemic (adj)
One of the 4 main branches of philosophy relating to knowledge or the study of it. The disagreement is not due to one party's epistemic negligence or obliviousness to relevant evidence.
62
Reposte (n)
A quick, intelligent and funny reply to a criticism.
63
Mollycoddle (v)
To treat someone with excessive care or concern.
64
Leitmotif (n)
A word, phrase, theme or image that is repeated often in a book or work of art, or is typical of a particular person.
65
Scurrilous (adj)
Making or spreading scandalous claims about someone with the intention to cause damage. A scurrilous attack on the mayor’s integrity.
66
Groundswell (n)
An increase in a particular opinion among a large section of the population. A groundswell of opposition developed.
67
Epiphenomenon (n)
A secondary symptom, occurring simultaneously with a disease but not directly related to it. The struggle for democracy in Hong Kong is not some marginal epiphenomenon
68
Hither (adj)
Situated on this side. The hither side of Severn.
69
Tither (adj)
To or towards that place. No trickery had been necessary to attract him thither.
70
Convivial (adj)
Happy and friendly in atmosphere or character. The group chat must remain convivial at all times.
71
Corral (v)
Gather together and confine (a group of people or things). The organizers were corralling the crowd into marching formation.
72
Bluster (v)(n)
Talk in a loud, aggressive, or indignant way with little effect. You threaten and bluster, but won't carry it through.
73
Kosher (adj)
Proper or appropriate. It’s kosher to agree with the powers that be.
74
Encumbrance (n)
An impediment or burden. The horse raised its hind leg as if to rid itself of an encumbrance.
75
Contingent (adj)
Dependent on something else OR Happening by chance or unforeseen causes. A plan contingent on the weather.
76
Sui generis (adj)
In a class of its own or unique. The sui generis nature of animals.
77
Clotted (adj)
A thick mass of coagulated liquid. Blood clotted over the superating wound.
78
Animistic (adj)
The belief in a supernatural power that animates and governs the material world. Their animistic ceremonies used ganja frequently.
79
Animus (n)
Hostility or ill feeling. The author's animus towards her.
80
Modus Vivendi (n)
A mode of living. Also an agreement that allows 2 or more parties to coexist in peace.
81
Postprandial (adj)
Period after eating a meal. An annual postprandial glucose test.
82
Statist (n)
An advocate of a policy in which the state has significant control over social and economic affairs.
83
Semiotic (adj)
Relating to signs and symbols. The gestures, images, and objects notated in his scripts share a semiotic importance equal to the spoken text.
84
Neurosis (n)
A mild mental illness with no | organic cause possibly related to stress.
85
Kafkaesque (adj)
Characteristic or reminiscent of the oppressive or nightmarish qualities of Franz Kafka's fictional world. A Kafkaesque bureaucratic office.
86
Skein (n)
An element that forms part of a complex or complicated whole. He weaves together the skeins of philosophy, ecology, folklore, and history.
87
Raison d'être (n) | [Re zon detra]
The most important reason or purpose for someone or something's existence. Seeking to shock is the catwalk's raison d'être.
88
Simulacra (n)
An image or representation of someone or something. A small-scale simulacrum of a skyscraper.
89
Hamming (v)
Overacting or relying on stock gestures or mannerisms. She was hamming more than genuinely acting.
90
Errant (adj)
Behaving badly in some way, especially by disobeying.
91
Potemkin (adj)
Having a false or deceptive appearance, especially one presented for the purpose of propaganda. A Potemkin news network, set up only to give the appearance of a free press.
92
Pantomime (n)
A form of drama in which performers communicate through movement and expressions of their face, not words, to tell a story.
93
Tosh (n)
Rubbish; nonsense. It's a piece of sentimental tosh.
94
Quiescence (n) | [kwe essence]
Inactivity or dormancy. The migrant labour who’s quiescence we take for granted.
95
Fetter (v)(n)
Restrain with chains or manacles, typically around the ankles. The Supervisor tossed a key to the old slave to unlock the chain that fettered the prisoners together.
96
Charnel (adj)
Associated with death. I gagged on the charnel stench of the place.
97
Betoken (v)
Be a warning or indication of (a future event). The mass of young men on the streets betokens a society that has no sense of its future.
98
Plenitude (n)
An abundance of. The plenitude of the Pope's powers.
99
Canon (n)
A general law / principle OR a collection of scared books. The appointment violated the canons of fair play and accounts.
100
Ex ante (adv)
Based on forecasts rather than actual results. The bill ex ante named some communities and excluded others.

English Vocalbulary (31 decks)

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