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English Vocalbulary > General Vocabulary 17 > Flashcards

General Vocabulary 17 Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

Panoptic (adj)

A

Showing or seeing the whole at one view.

Panoptic aerial view of military bases.

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2
Q

Comport (v)

A

To conduct oneself or behave.

Articulate students who comported themselves well in the interview.

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3
Q

Petard (n)

A

To have one’s own plan to cause trouble for others blow up on oneself.

To be hoisted by ones own petard.

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4
Q

Putative (adj)

A

Generally considered to be.

The putative benefits of the medicine were all too obvious.

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5
Q

Precepts (n)

A

A general rule intended to regulate thought or behavior.

The rules of the constitution were regarded as general precepts for society.

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6
Q

Woe betide (n)

A

Great sorrow or depression.

Woe betide anyone who does not claim the constitution to be on their side.

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7
Q

Casuistic (adj)

A

To use clever but unsound reasoning in matters of morals.

Is the constitution made in the casuistic reasoning of lawyers?

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8
Q

Epigraph (n)

A

A short saying at the beginning of a chapter or book indicative of its theme OR
An inscription on a building / statue.

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9
Q

Ecumenism (n)

A

The principle aim of promoting unity amongst the different Christian churches.

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10
Q

Panglossian (adj)

A

Unreasonably or naively optimistic.

The Panglossian view of our relationship with our neighbors obscures our reality.

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11
Q

Sotto voce (adj)

A

In a quite voice as if unheard.

The speech is a sotto voce acknowledgement of threats that face us.

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12
Q

Presumptuous (adj)

A

Failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate.

The sense of presumptuousness in dealing with China has gone.

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13
Q

Instrumentalism (n)

A

A pragmatic approach which regards an activity as an instrument for some practical purpose.

There is rampant instrumentalism in the media.

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14
Q

Hoggishness (n)

A

Greed OR An excessive desire for food.

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15
Q

Rapier (n)

A

Sharp or incisive(of speech).

Rapier wit.

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16
Q

Refoulement (n)

A

The practice of returning refugees to a country from where they came and are likely to be persecuted.

The principle of non-refoulement was breached when refugees were sent back.

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17
Q

Founder (v)

A

To stumble upon and fall possibly by exhaustion.

The intellectual tradition foundered on two challenges

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18
Q

Bromide (n)

A

A trite statement used to soothe or placate.

Do not peddle confused bromides about consciousness replacing morality.

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19
Q

Essentialism (n)

A

The view that every entity has a set of attributes that are necessary to its identity and function.

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20
Q

Anthology (n)

A

A published collection of writings.

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21
Q

Theodicy (n)

A

A philosophical answer to how a good God could create so much evil in existence.

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22
Q

Pathologise (v)

A

To treat as psychologically abnormal.

The same pathologies that make nationalism suspect should apply to sub-nationalism.

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23
Q

Case law (n)

A

Past legal judgements as a collection used to guide the interpretation of the law.

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24
Q

Gravamen (n)

A

The most serious issue of a complaint or accusation.

The real gravamen of “judicial imperiousness” should be evaluated on empirical evidence.

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25
Q

Disjuncture (n)

A

A separation or divide.

There is a deep disjuncture between social categories and the actual flow of politics.

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26
Q

Rubicon (n)

A

The point of no return.

They crossed a Rubicon when insults flew thick and fast.

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27
Q

Oeuvre (n)
[Aver]

A

The body of work of an artist, author or composer.

Elena Ferrante’s literary oeuvre is fascinating.

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28
Q

Mordant (adj)

A

Having a sharp or critical quality.

The book was acclaimed for its mordant social observations.

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29
Q

Cul de sac (n)

A

A passage closed at one end.

It is a measure of our moral cul de sac that the principles we espouse are the ones that inhibit a fair outcome.

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30
Q

Abrogate (v)

A

Abolish or do away with a right or law.

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31
Q

Soteriology (n)

A

The study of religious doctrines of salvation.

He has every soteriological ambition that philosophers in the Indian tradition have had.

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32
Q

Littoral (adj)

A

Of or relating to the shore of a lake or sea.

The littoral states of the Indian Ocean.

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33
Q

Detente (n)
[De tawnt]

A

The easing or relaxation of strained relations with a country.

India must make an attempt at detente with China.

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34
Q

Involuted (adj)

A

Complicated or abstruse.

His prose grew increasingly involute.

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35
Q

Prefatory (adj)

A

Serving as an introduction.

The prefatory remarks on the essay were incisive.

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36
Q

Rictus (n)

A

A fixed grin

An occasional rictus was all that was left of his expressions.

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37
Q

Necrosis (adj)

A

Premature death of cells in a living tissue.

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38
Q

Quisling (n)

A

A traitor who collaborates with enemy forces within his country.

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39
Q

Grifter (n)

A

A person who engages in small thefts.

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40
Q

Dullards (n)

A

An idiot. A slow and stupid person.

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41
Q

Gormless (adj)

A

Lacking sense. Foolishness.

42
Q

Hucksters (n)

A

Traders. People who sell small items from door to door.

43
Q

Lickspittle (n)

A

A person who behaves obsequiously to people in power.

44
Q

Kitsch (n)

A

Considered in poor taste but appreciated in a ironic way.

Palaces awash with potentate kitsch.

45
Q

Metastasised (v)

A

Of cancer. Spread to other parts of the body by metastasis.

46
Q

Fugacious (adj)

A

Fleeting, tending to disappear.

She was acutely aware of her fugacious youth.

47
Q

Neanderthal (n) (adj)

A

An uncivilised, uncouth, unintelligent person.

This sort of neanderthal thinking will take us back in time.

48
Q

Covetousness (n)

A

The desire to possess something that belongs to another.

49
Q

Zephyr (n)

A

A light gentle breeze.

If not for the zephyrs blowing and cooling us our room would have been unbearably hot.

50
Q

Wily (adj)

A

Crafty or sly

While they were not the strongest they were wily and full of dirty tricks.

51
Q

Sybarite (n)

A

A person devoted to luxury and pleasure seeking.

The prince was known to be a self indulgent sybarite and not a statesmen or warrior.

52
Q

Swarthy (adj)

A

Dark in colour or complexion.

When he drank his pale skin became unusually swarthy.

53
Q

Solipsistic (adj)

A

Believing that oneself is all that exists.

Her solipsistic attitude lead her to completely ignore the plight of the homeless.

54
Q

Sobriety (n)

A

Calm or sedate.

John’s sobriety in times of crises was the key to his success in life.

55
Q

Seraphic (adj)

A

Sweet or angelic.

When children put on their angel costumes they look seraphic.

56
Q

Ribald (adj)

A

Coarse or crude humour.

While some giggled at the ribald jokes others sighed and rolled their eyes off.

57
Q

Reprobate (adj)

A

Evil or unprincipled.

The reprobate criminal sat unrepentant in the court of law.

58
Q

Pellucid (adj)

A

Easily understood by common intellect.

He wrote the book hoping it would be pellucid to the common man’s understanding.

59
Q

Lugubrious (adj)

A

Looking or sounding sad and gloomy.

After his wife left him he walked around in a lugubrious condition.

60
Q

Ethos (n)

A

The set of ideas and beliefs of a set of people.

The company ethos is one of cooperation amongst all members of the firm.

61
Q

Ersatz (adj)

A

Artificial or inferior imitation or substitution

Like everything else in the restaurant the whipped cream on the dessert was ersatz.

62
Q

Dissemble (v)

A

Conceal or hide.

Not wanting to appear possessive she dissembled her intention of not wanting to sell off her antiques.

63
Q

Cosset (v)

A

To pamper or treat with great care.

The mother would cosset to her child’s every demand from buying expensive toys to skipping homework.

64
Q

Contumacious (adj)

A

Stubborn and disobedience to authority.

The contumacious player was kicked of the team for not following the coach’s orders.

65
Q

Congruity (n)

A

Perfect harmony or agreement.

They mutually had perfect congruity of opinion.

66
Q

Concord (n)

A

Harmonious agreement.

They began with a disagreement but ended up I a state of perfect concord.

67
Q

Carouse (v)

A

To party or celebrate.

We caroused all night after getting married.

68
Q

Bilk (v)

A

To cheat or defraud.

The lawyer discovered that his firm bilked several clients out of huge amounts of money.

69
Q

Arboreal (adj)

A

Of or relating to trees.

70
Q

Curmudgeon (n)

A

Cranky old person.

My neighbour is a curmudgeon who keeps the balls that come into his estate.

71
Q

Badinage (n)

A

Banter. The playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks.

72
Q

Unbridled (n)

A

Unrestrained or unconstrained.

73
Q

Rumbustious (adj)

A

Boisterous and unruly.

Rumbustious football fans.

74
Q

Iniquity (n)

A

Wickedness or sin.

“Your iniquity shall be pardoned”said the priest to the practical joker.

75
Q

Semaphore (n)

A

A visual signal.

They communicated with a semaphore involving candles and window shades.

76
Q

Salve (n)

A

Soothing balm.

Tony applied a salve and immediately felt better.

77
Q

Solecism (n)

A

A socially awkward mistake or grammatically incorrect statement.

78
Q

Prorogation (n)

A

The act of discontinuing a parliamentary session without dissolving it.

79
Q

Gentrified (v)

A

The process of changing the character of a poor neighbourhood by the influx of wealthier more educated people.

80
Q

Arboreal (adj)

A

Of or relating to trees

Leaves, roots, and bark are a few arboreal traits

81
Q

Odoriferous (adj)

A

Having or giving of a smell especially a foul one

Clean up your odoriferous cavities.

82
Q

Tautology (n)

A

Saying the same thing twice over in different words generally a fault of style.

The phrase “A beginner who has just started” is tautological.

83
Q

Levity (n)

A

An inappropriate lack of seriousness; overly casual

As a student, I really liked Mrs. Walters because she was not too stern and always used levity in her lessons to make the class less formal

84
Q

Lethologica (n)

A

Inability to remember a particular word or name.

He would frequently grope for words and apologise for his lethologica.

85
Q

Cassandra (n)

A

A prophet of doom and disaster.

Seldom have the words of a Cassandra been more ignored than his speech on the US economy.

86
Q

Turncoat (n)

A

A person who stops supporting one political party, religious group etc. to join another one with very different views

87
Q

Pantheism (n)

A

The doctrine that identifies God with the universe or the universe is a manifestation of God.

88
Q

Discussant (n)

A

A person who takes part in a discussion.

89
Q

Homophily (n)

A

Tendency of people to seek out or be attracted to others like themselves.

90
Q

Seigniorage (n)

A

The profit made by a sovereign by issuing currency, especially the difference between the face value of the coins and their manufacturing costs.

91
Q

Bellicist (n)

A

One who advocates war as opposed to a pacifist.

92
Q

Diorama (n)

A

A 3 dimensional model representing a scene either in miniature or full scale.

Japanese artist creates miniature dioramas every day.

93
Q

Indubitable (adj)

A

Impossible to doubt.

The Yogi ‘s abilities were indubitable.

94
Q

Nonplussed (adj)

A

Confused or surprised so as to not know how to react.

He was nonplussed at the suggestion.

95
Q

Empyrean (adj)

A

Relating to the heavens.

96
Q

Trammel (n)

A

Restrictions to the freedom of action.

We will forge our future free from the trammels of materialism.

97
Q

Treacle (n)

A

A thick, dark, sticky liquid that is made from sugar.

98
Q

Leaden (adj)

A

Slow or heavy.

She walked back home with leaden steps after the quarrel.

99
Q

Tessellation (n)

A

An arrangement of shapes especially polygons in a repeated pattern without gaps.

The lines of political connection now run across and among these fragments, and are producing an intricate tessellation of identities.

100
Q

Monograph (n)

A

A detailed written study of a single specialised subject.

A newly published anthropological monograph by an earnest American researcher drew much attention in literary circles.

English Vocalbulary (31 decks)

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