gre 2000-2500 Flashcards

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1
Q

lagoon

A

shallow body of water near a sea; lake (Eg: They enjoyed their swim in the calm lagoon. )

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2
Q

laity

A

laypersons; persons not connected with the clergy (Eg: The laity does not always understand the clergy’s problems. )

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3
Q

lambaste

A

beat; thrash verbally or physically (Eg: It was painful to watch the champion lambaste his opponent, tearing into him mercilessly. )

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4
Q

lament

A

grieve; express sorrow (Eg: Even advocates of the war lamented the loss of so many lives in combat. )

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5
Q

lampoon

A

ridicule (Eg: This article lampoons the pretensions of some movie moguls. )

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6
Q

languid

A

weary; sluggish; listless (Eg: Her siege of illness left her languid and pallid. )

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7
Q

languish

A

lose animation; lose strength (Eg: In stories, lovelorn damsels used to languish and pine away. )

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8
Q

languor

A

lassitude; depression (Eg: His friends tried to overcome the languor into which he had fallen by taking him to parties and to the )

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9
Q

lank

A

long and thin (Eg: lank, gaunt, Abraham Lincoln was a striking figure. )

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10
Q

larceny

A

theft (Eg: Because of the prisoner’s record, the district attorney refused to reduce the charge from grand larceny to )

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11
Q

larder

A

pantry; place where food is kept (Eg: The first thing Bill did on returning home from school was to check what snacks his mother had in the )

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12
Q

largess

A

generous gift (Eg: Lady Bountiful distributed largess to the poor. )

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13
Q

lascivious

A

lustful (Eg: Because they might arouse lascivious impulses in their readers, the lewd books were banned by the clergy. )

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14
Q

lassitude

A

languor; weariness (Eg: The hot, tropical weather created a feeling of lassitude and encouraged drowsiness. )

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15
Q

latent

A

dormant; hidden (Eg: Her latent talent was discovered by accident. )

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16
Q

lateral

A

coming from the side (Eg: In order to get good plant growth, the gardener must pinch off all lateral shoots. )

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17
Q

latitude

A

freedom from narrow limitations (Eg: I think you have permitted your son too much latitude in this matter. )

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18
Q

laudable

A

praiseworthy; commendable (Eg: His laudable deeds will be remarked by all whom he aided. )

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19
Q

laudatory

A

expressing praise (Eg: The critics’ laudatory comments helped to make her a star. )

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20
Q

lavish

A

liberal; wasteful (Eg: The actor’s lavish gifts pleased her. )

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21
Q

lax

A

careless (Eg: We dislike restaurants where the service is lax and inattentive. )

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22
Q

leaven

A

cause to rise or grow lighter; enliven (Eg: As bread dough is leavened, it puffs up, expanding in volume. )

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23
Q

lechery

A

gross lewdness; lustfulness (Eg: In his youth he led a life of lechery and debauchery; he did not mend his ways until middle age. )

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24
Q

lectern

A

reading desk (Eg: The chaplain delivered his sermon from a hastily improvised lectern. )

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25
Q

leery

A

suspicious; cautious (Eg: Don’t eat sushi at this restaurant; I’m a bit leery about how fresh it is. )

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26
Q

leeway

A

room to move; margin (Eg: When you set a deadline, allow a little leeway. )

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27
Q

legacy

A

a gift made by a will (Eg: Part of my legacy from my parents is an album of family photographs. )

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28
Q

legend

A

explanatory list of symbols on a map (Eg: The legend at the bottom of the map made it clear which symbols stood for rest areas along the highway )

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29
Q

legerdemain

A

sleight of hand (Eg: The magician demonstrated his renowned legerdemain. )

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30
Q

leniency

A

mildness; permissiveness (Eg: Considering the gravity of the offense, we were surprised by the leniency of the sentence. )

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31
Q

leonine

A

like a lion (Eg: He was leonine in his rage. )

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32
Q

lethal

A

deadly (Eg: It is unwise to leave lethal weapons where children may find them. )

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33
Q

lethargic

A

drowsy; dull (Eg: The stuffy room made her lethargic; she felt as if she was about to nod off. )

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34
Q

levee

A

earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding (Eg: As the river rose and threatened to overflow the levee, emergency workers rushed to reinforce the walls )

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35
Q

levitate

A

float in the air (especially by magical means) (Eg: As the magician passed his hands over the recumbent body of his assistant, she appeared to rise and )

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36
Q

levity

A

lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity (Eg: Stop giggling abd wriggling around in the pew; such levity is improper in church. )

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37
Q

levy

A

impose (a fine); collect (a payment) (Eg: Crying “No taxation withouth representation,” the colonists demonstrated against England’s power to levy )

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38
Q

lewd

A

lustful (Eg: They found his lewd stories objectionable. )

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39
Q

lexicographer

A

compiler of a dictionary (Eg: The new dictionary is the work of many lexicographers who spent years compiling and editing the work. )

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40
Q

lexicon

A

dictionary (Eg: I cannot find this word in any lexicon in the library. )

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41
Q

liability

A

drawback; debts (Eg: Her lack of an extensive vocabulary was a liability that she was able to overcome. )

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42
Q

liaison

A

officer who acts as go-between for two armies; intermediary (Eg: As the liason, he had to avoid offending the leaders of the two armies. )

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43
Q

libelous

A

defamatory; injurious to the good name of a person (Eg: He sued the newspaper because of its libelous story. )

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44
Q

libertine

A

debauched person, roue (Eg: )

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45
Q

libidinous

A

lustful (Eg: They objected to his libidinous behavior. )

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46
Q

libido

A

emotional urges behind human activity (Eg: The psychiatrist maintained that suppression of the libido often resulted in maladjustment and neuroses. )

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47
Q

libretto

A

text of an opera (Eg: The composer of an opera’s music is remembered more frequently than the author of its libretto. )

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48
Q

licentious

A

wanton; lewd; dissolute (Eg: The licentious monarch helped bring about his country’s downfall. )

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49
Q

lien

A

legal claim on a property (Eg: There was a delay before Ralph could take possession of his late uncle’s home; apparently, another )

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50
Q

ligneous

A

like wood (Eg: Petrified wood may be ligneous in appearance, but it is stonelike in composition. )

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51
Q

lilliputian

A

extremely small (Eg: Tiny and delicate, the model was built on a lilliputian scale. )

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52
Q

limber

A

flexible (Eg: Hours of ballet classes kept him limber. )

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53
Q

limbo

A

region near heaven or hell where certain souls are kept (Eg: Among the divisions of Hell are Purgatory and limbo. )

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54
Q

limn

A

draw; outline; describe (Eg: Parodoxically, the more realistic the details this artist chooses, the better able to limn her fantastic, other- )

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55
Q

limpid

A

clear (Eg: A limpid stream ran through his property. )

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56
Q

lineage

A

descent; ancestry (Eg: He traced his lineage back to Mayflower days. )

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57
Q

lineaments

A

features, especially of the face (Eg: She quickly sketched the lineaments of his face. )

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58
Q

linguistic

A

pertaining to language (Eg: The modern tourist will encounter very little linguistic difficulty as English has become an almost universal )

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59
Q

lionize

A

treat as a celebrity (Eg: )

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60
Q

liquidate

A

settle accounts; clear up (Eg: He was able to liquidate all his debts in short period of time. )

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61
Q

list

A

tilt; lean over (Eg: That flagpole should be absolutely vertical; instead, it lists to one side. )

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62
Q

listless

A

lacking in spirit or energy (Eg: We had expected him to be full of enthusiasm and were surprised by his listless attitude. )

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63
Q

litany

A

supplicatory prayer (Eg: On this solemn day, the congregation responded to the prayers of the priest during the litany with fervor )

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64
Q

lithe

A

flexible; supple (Eg: Her figure was lithe and willowy. )

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65
Q

litigation

A

lawsuit (Eg: Try to settle this amicably; I do not want to start litigation. )

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66
Q

litotes

A

understatement for emphasis (Eg: To say, “He little realizes,” when we mean that he does not realize at all, is an example of the kind of )

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67
Q

livid

A

lead-coloredl; black and blue; ashen; enraged (Eg: His face was so livid with rage that we were afraid that he might have an attack of apoplexy. )

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68
Q

loath

A

averse; reluctant (Eg: They were both loath for him to go. )

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69
Q

loathe

A

detest (Eg: We loathed the wicked villain. )

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70
Q

lode

A

metal-bearing vein (Eg: If this lode that we have discovered extends for any distance, we have found a fortune. )

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71
Q

lofty

A

very high (Eg: They used to tease him about his lofty ambitions. )

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72
Q

loiter

A

hang around; linger (Eg: The policeman told him not to loiter in the alley. )

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73
Q

loll

A

lounge about (Eg: They lolled around in their chairs watching television. )

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74
Q

longevity

A

long life (Eg: When he reached ninety, the old man was proud of his longevity. )

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75
Q

lope

A

gallop slowly (Eg: As the horses loped along, we had an opportunity to admire the ever-changing scenery. )

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76
Q

loquacious

A

talkative (Eg: She is very loquacious and can speak on the telephone for hours. )

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77
Q

lout

A

clumsy person (Eg: The delivery boy is an awkward lout. )

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78
Q

low

A

moo (Eg: From the hilltop, they could see the herd like ants in the distance; they could barely hear the cattle low. )

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79
Q

lucid

A

easily understood; clear; intelligible (Eg: Her explanation was lucid enought for a child to grasp. )

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80
Q

lucrative

A

profitable (Eg: He turned his hobby into a lucrative profession. )

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81
Q

lucre

A

money (Eg: Preferring lucre to undying fame, he wrote stories of popular appeal. )

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82
Q

ludicrous

A

laughable; trifling (Eg: Let us be serious; this is not a ludicrous issue. )

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83
Q

lugubrious

A

mournful (Eg: The lugabrious howling of the dogs added to our sadness. )

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84
Q

lull

A

moment of calm (Eg: Not wanting to get wet, they waited under the awning for a lull in the rain. )

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85
Q

lumber

A

move heavily of clumsily (Eg: Still somewhat torpid after its long hibernation, the bear lumbered through the woods. )

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86
Q

lumen

A

unit of light energy (one candle’s worth) (Eg: In buying light bulbs, she checked not only their power, as measured in watts, but their brightness, as )

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87
Q

luminary

A

celebrity; dignitary (Eg: A leading light of the American stage, Ethel Barrymore was a theatrical luminary whose name lives on. )

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88
Q

luminous

A

shining; issuing light (Eg: The sun is a luminous body. )

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89
Q

lunar

A

pertaining to the moon (Eg: lunar craters can be plainly seen with the aid of a small telescope. )

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90
Q

lurid

A

wild; sensational (Eg: The lurid stories he told shocked his listeners. )

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91
Q

lurk

A

stealthily lie in waiting; slink; exist unperceived (Eg: “Who knows what evils lurk in the hearts of men? The shadow knows.” )

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92
Q

luscious

A

pleasing to taste or smell (Eg: The ripe peach was luscious. )

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93
Q

luster

A

shine; gloss (Eg: The soft luster of the silk in the dim light was pleasing. )

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94
Q

lustrous

A

shining (Eg: Her large and lustrous eyes gave a touch of beauty to an otherwise drab face. )

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95
Q

luxuriant

A

fertile; abundant; ornate (Eg: Farming was easy in this luxuriant soil. )

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96
Q

laxative

A

facilitating evacuation of the bowels (Eg: The effect of the constipation medicine is laxative; it empties the bowels. )

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97
Q

macabre

A

gruesome; grisly (Eg: The city morgue is a macabre spot for the uninitiated. )

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98
Q

mace

A

ceremonial staff; clublike medieval weapon (Eg: The Grand Marshal of the parade raised his mace to signal that it was time for the procession to begin. )

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99
Q

macerate

A

soften by soaking in liquid; waste away (Eg: The strawberries had been soaking in the champagn for so long that they had begun to macerate: they )

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100
Q

machiavellian

A

crafty; double-dealing (Eg: I do not think he will be a good embassador because he is not accustomed to the machiavellian )

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101
Q

machinations

A

schemes (Eg: I can see through your wily machinations. )

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102
Q

maculated

A

spotted; stained (Eg: Instead of writing that Gorbachev had a birthmark on his forehead, the pompous young poet sang of the )

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103
Q

madrigal

A

pastoral song (Eg: His program of folk songs included several madrigals which he sang to the accompaniment of a lute. )

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104
Q

maelstrom

A

whirlpool (Eg: The canoe was tossed about in the maelstrom. )

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105
Q

magisterial

A

authoritative; imperious (Eg: The learned doctor laid down the law to his patient in a magisterial tone of voice. )

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106
Q

magnanimity

A

generosity (Eg: Noted for his magnanimity, philanthropist Eugene Lang donated millions to charity. )

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107
Q

magnate

A

person of prominence or influence (Eg: The steel magnate decided to devote more time to city politics. )

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108
Q

magniloquent

A

boastful, pompous (Eg: In their stories of the trial, the reporters ridiculed the magniloquent speeches of the defense attorney. )

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109
Q

magnitude

A

greatness; extent (Eg: It is difficult to comprehend the magnitude of his crime. )

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110
Q

maim

A

mutilate; injure (Eg: The hospital could not take care of all who had been mangled or maimed in the railroad accident. )

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111
Q

maladroit

A

clumsy; bungling (Eg: In his usual maladroit way, he managed to upset the cart and spill the food. )

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112
Q

malaise

A

uneasiness; distress (Eg: She felt a sudden vague malaise when she heard sounds at the door. )

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113
Q

malapropism

A

comic misuse of a word (Eg: When Mrs. Malaprop criticizes Lydia for being “as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile,” she )

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114
Q

malcontent

A

person dissatisfied with existing state of affairs (Eg: He was one of the few malcontents in the Congress; he constantly voiced his objections to the Presidential )

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115
Q

malediction

A

curse (Eg: The witch uttered maledictions against her captors. )

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116
Q

malefactor

A

criminal (Eg: We must try to bring these malefactors to justice. )

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117
Q

malevolent

A

wishing evil (Eg: We must thwart his malevolent schemes. )

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118
Q

malfeasance

A

wrongdoing (Eg: The authorities did not discover the campaign manager’s malfeasance until after he had spent most of the )

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119
Q

malicious

A

dictated by hatred or spite (Eg: The malicious neighbor spread the gossip. )

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120
Q

malign

A

speak evil of; defame (Eg: Because of her hatred of the family, she maligns all who are friendly to them. )

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121
Q

malignant

A

having an evil influence; virulent (Eg: This is a malignant disease; we must have to use drastic measures to stop its spread. )

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122
Q

malingerer

A

one who feigns illness to escape duty (Eg: The captain ordered the sergeant to punish all malingerers and force them to work. )

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123
Q

malleable

A

capable of being shaped by pounding (Eg: Gold is a malleable metal. )

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124
Q

malodorous

A

foul-smelling (Eg: The component heap was most malodorous in summer. )

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125
Q

mammal

A

vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young (Eg: Many people regard the whale as a fish and do not realize that it is a mammal. )

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126
Q

mammoth

A

gigantic (Eg: The mammoth corporations of the twentieth century are a mixed blessing )

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127
Q

manacle

A

restrain; handcuff (Eg: The police immediately manacled the prisoner so he could not escape. )

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128
Q

mandate

A

order; charge (Eg: In his inaugural address, the President stated that he had a mandate from the people to seek an end to )

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129
Q

mandatory

A

obligatory (Eg: These instructions are mandatory; any violation will be severely punished. )

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130
Q

mangy

A

shabby; wretched (Eg: We finally thew out the mangy rug that the dog had destroyed. )

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131
Q

maniacal

A

raving mad (Eg: His maniacal laughter frightened us. )

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132
Q

manifest

A

understandable; clear (Eg: His evil intentions were manifest and yet we could not stop him. )

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133
Q

manifestation

A

outward demonstration; indication (Eg: Mozart’s early attraction to the harsichord was the first manifestation of his pronounced musical bent. )

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134
Q

manifesto

A

declaration; statement of policy (Eg: The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels proclaimed the principles of modern communism. )

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135
Q

manifold

A

numerous; varied (Eg: I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate your manifold kindnesses. )

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136
Q

manipulate

A

operate with the hands; control or change by artful means (Eg: How do you manipulate these puppets? )

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137
Q

mannered

A

affected; not natural (Eg: Attempting to copy the style of his wealthy neighbors, Gatsby adopted a mannered, artificial way of )

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138
Q

manumit

A

emancipate; free from bondage (Eg: Enlightened slave owners were willing to manumit their slaves and thus put an end to the evil slavery in the )

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139
Q

marital

A

pertaining to marriage (Eg: After the publication of his book on marital affairs, he was often consulted by married people on the verge )

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140
Q

maritime

A

bordering on the sea; nautical (Eg: The maritime Provinces depend on the sea for their wealth. )

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141
Q

marked

A

noticeable; targeted for vengeance (Eg: He walked with a marked limp, a souvenir of an old IRA attack. As British ambassador, he knew he was a )

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142
Q

marred

A

damaged; disfigured (Eg: She had to refinish the marred surface of the table. )

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143
Q

marshal

A

put in order (Eg: At a debate tournament, extemporaneous speakers have only a minute or two to marshal their thoughts )

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144
Q

marsupial

A

one of a family of mammals that nurse their offspring in a pouch (Eg: The most common marsupial in North America is the opposum. )

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145
Q

martial

A

warlike (Eg: The sound of marital music was always inspiring to the young poet. )

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146
Q

martinet

A

strict disciplinarian (Eg: The commanding officer was a martinet who observed each regulation to the ltter. )

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147
Q

masochist

A

person who enjoys his own pain (Eg: The masochist begs, “Hit me.” The sadist smiles and says, “I won’t.” )

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148
Q

masticate

A

chew (Eg: We must masticate our food carefully and slowly in order to avoid digestive disorders. )

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149
Q

materialism

A

preoccupation with physical comforts and things (Eg: By its nature, materialism is opposed to idealism, for where the materialist emphasizes the needs of the )

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150
Q

maternal

A

motherly (Eg: )

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151
Q

matriarch

A

woman who rules a family or larger social group (Eg: The matriarch ruled her gypsy tribe with a firm hand. )

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152
Q

martrix

A

point of origin; array of numbers or algebraic symbols; mold or die (Eg: Some historians claim the Nile Valley was the matrix of the Western civilization. )

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153
Q

maudlin

A

effusively sentimental (Eg: I do not like such maudlin pictures. I call them tearjerkers. )

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154
Q

maul

A

handle roughly (Eg: The rock star was mauled by his overexcited fans. )

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155
Q

mausoleum

A

monumental tomb (Eg: His body was placed in the family mausolem. )

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156
Q

mauve

A

pale purple (Eg: The mauve tint in the lilac bush was another indication that spring had finally arrived. )

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157
Q

maverick

A

rebel; nonconformist (Eg: To the masculine literary establishment, George Sand with her insistence on wearing trousers and smoking )

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158
Q

mawkish

A

sickening; insipid (Eg: Your mawkish sighs fill me with disgust. )

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159
Q

maxim

A

proverb; a truth pithily stated (Eg: Aesop’s fables illustrate moral maxims. )

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160
Q

mayhem

A

injury to the body (Eg: The riot was marked not only by mayhem, with its attendant loss of life and limb, but also by arson and )

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161
Q

meager

A

scanty; inadequate (Eg: His salary was far too meager for him to afford to buy a new car. )

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162
Q

mealymouthed

A

indirect speech; hypocritical; evasive (Eg: Rather than tell Jill directly what he disliked, Jack made a few mealymouthed comments and tried to change )

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163
Q

meander

A

to wind or turn in its course (Eg: It is difficult to sail up this stream because of the way it meanders through the countryside. )

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164
Q

meddlesome

A

interfering (Eg: He felt his marriage was suffering because of his meddlesome mother-in-law. )

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165
Q

mediate

A

settle a dispute through the services of an outsider (Eg: Let us mediate out differences rather than engage in a costly strike. )

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166
Q

mediocre

A

ordinary; commonplace (Eg: We were disappointed because he gave a rather mediocre performance in this role. )

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167
Q

meditation

A

reflection; thought (Eg: She reached her decision only after much meditation. )

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168
Q

medley

A

mixture (Eg: The band played a medley of Gershwin tunes. )

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169
Q

meek

A

submissive; patient and long-suffering (Eg: Mr. Barrett never expected his meek daughter would dare to defy him by eloping with her suitor. )

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170
Q

megalomania

A

mania for doing grandiose things (Eg: Developers who spend millions trying to build the world’s tallest skyscraper suffer from megalomania. )

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171
Q

melee

A

fight (Eg: The captain tried to ascertain the cause of the melee that had broken out among the crew members. )

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172
Q

mellifluous

A

flowing smoothly; smooth (Eg: Italian is a mellifluous language. )

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173
Q

memento

A

token; reminder (Eg: Take this book as a memento of your visit. )

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174
Q

memorialize

A

commemorate (Eg: Let us memorialize his great contribution by dedicating this library in his honor. )

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175
Q

mendacious

A

lying; false (Eg: He was pathological liar, and his friends learned to discount his mendacious stories. )

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176
Q

mendicant

A

beggar (Eg: From the moment we left the ship, we were surrounded by mendicants and peddlers. )

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177
Q

menial

A

suitable for sevants; low (Eg: I cannot understand why a person of your ability and talent should engage in such menial activities. )

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178
Q

mentor

A

counselor; teacher (Eg: During this very trying period, she could not have had a better mentor, for the teacher was sympathetic )

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179
Q

mercantile

A

concerning trade (Eg: I am more interested in the opportunites available in the mercantile field than I am in those in the legal )

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180
Q

mercenary

A

motivated solely by money or gain (Eg: “I’m not in this war because I get my kicks waving flags,” said the mercenary soldier. “I’m in it for the )

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181
Q

mercurial

A

fickle; changing (Eg: He was of a mercurial temperament and therefore unpredictable. )

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182
Q

meretricious

A

flashy; tawdry; falsely attractive (Eg: Her jewels were inexpensive but not meretricious. )

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183
Q

merger

A

combination (of two business corporations) (Eg: When the firm’s president married the director of financial planning, the office joke was that it wasn’t a )

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184
Q

mesmerize

A

hypnotize (Eg: The incessant drone seemed to mesmerize him and place him in a trance. )

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185
Q

metallurgical

A

pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores (Eg: During the course of his metallurgical research, the scientist developed a steel alloy of tremendous )

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186
Q

metamorphosis

A

change of form (Eg: The metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly is typical of many such changes in animal life. )

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187
Q

metaphor

A

implied comparison (Eg: “He soared like an eagle” is an example of a simile; “He is an eagle in flight,” is a metaphor. )

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188
Q

metaphysical

A

pertaining to speculative philosophy (Eg: The modern poets have gone back to the fanciful poems of the metaphysical poets of the seventeenth )

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189
Q

mete

A

measure; distribute (Eg: He tried to be impartial in his efforts to mete out justice. )

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190
Q

meteoric

A

swift; momentarily brilliant (Eg: We all wondered at his meteoric rise to fame. )

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191
Q

methodical

A

systematic (Eg: An accountant must be methodical and maintain order among his financial records. )

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192
Q

meticulous

A

excessively careful (Eg: He was meticulous in checking his accounts and never made mistakes. )

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193
Q

metropolis

A

large city (Eg: Every evening this terminal is filled with the thousands of commuters who are going from this metropolis )

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194
Q

mettle

A

courage; spirit (Eg: When challenged by the other horses in the race, the thoroughbred proved its mettle by its determination )

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195
Q

miasma

A

swamp gas; heavy, vaporous atmosphere, often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive (Eg: corrupting influence )

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196
Q

microcosm

A

small world (Eg: In the microcosm of our rural village, we find illustrations of all the evils that beset the universe. )

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197
Q

migrant

A

changing its habitat; wandering (Eg: These migrant birds return every spring. )

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198
Q

migratory

A

wandering (Eg: The return of the migratory birds to the northern sections of this country is a harbinger of spring. )

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199
Q

milieu

A

environment; means of expression (Eg: His milieu is watercolors, although he has produced excellent oil paintings and lithographs. )

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200
Q

militant

A

combative; bellicose (Eg: Althoughat this time he was advocating a policy of neutrality, one could usually find him adopting a more )

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201
Q

militate

A

work against (Eg: Your record of lateness and absence will militate against your chances of promotion. )

202
Q

millenium

A

thousand-year period; period of happiness and prosperity (Eg: I do not expect the milennium to come during my lifetime. )

203
Q

mimicry

A

imitation (Eg: Her gift for mimicry was so great that her friends said that she should be in the theater. )

204
Q

minatory

A

menacing; threatening (Eg: Jabbing a minatory forefinger at Dorothy, the Wicked Witch cried, “I’ll get you, and your little dog, too!” )

205
Q

mincing

A

affectedly dainty (Eg: Yum-Yum walked across the stage with mincing steps. )

206
Q

minion

A

a servile dependent (Eg: He was always accompanied by several of his minions because he enjoyed their subservience and flattery. )

207
Q

minuscule

A

extremely small (Eg: Why should I involve myself with a project with so minuscule a chance for success? )

208
Q

minute

A

extremely small (Eg: The twins resembled one another closely; only minute differences set them apart. )

209
Q

minutiae

A

petty details (Eg: She would have liked to ignore the minutiae of daily living. )

210
Q

mirage

A

unreal reflection; optical illusion (Eg: The lost prospector was fooled by a mirage in the desert. )

211
Q

mire

A

entangle; stick in swampy ground (Eg: Their rear wheels became mired in mud. )

212
Q

mirth

A

merriment; laughter (Eg: Sober Malvolio found Sir Toby’s mirth improper. )

213
Q

misadventure

A

mischance; ill luck (Eg: The young explorer met death by misadventure. )

214
Q

misanthrope

A

one who hates mankind (Eg: We thought the hermit was a miantrope because he shunned our society. )

215
Q

misapprehension

A

error; misunderstanding (Eg: To avoid msapprehension, I am going to ask all of you to repeat the instructions I have given. )

216
Q

miscellany

A

mixture of writings on various subjects (Eg: This is an interesting miscellany of nineteenth-century prose and poetry. )

217
Q

mischance

A

ill luck (Eg: By mischance, he lost his week’s salary. )

218
Q

misconstrue

A

interpret incorrectly; misjudge (Eg: She took the passage seriously rather than humourously because she misconstrued the author’s ironic tone. )

219
Q

miscreant

A

wretch; villain (Eg: His kindness to the miscreant amazed all of us who had expected to hear severe punishment pronounced. )

220
Q

misdemeanor

A

minor crime (Eg: The culprit pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor rather than face trial for a felony. )

221
Q

miserly

A

stingy; mean (Eg: The miserly old man hoarded his coins not out of prudence but out of greed. )

222
Q

misgivings

A

doubts (Eg: Hamlet described his misgivings to Horatio but decided to fence with Laertes despite his foreboding of )

223
Q

mishap

A

accident (Eg: With a little care you could have avoided this mishap. )

224
Q

misnomer

A

wrong name; incorrect designation (Eg: His tyrannical conduct proved to all that his nickname, King Eric the Just, was a misnomer. )

225
Q

misogamy

A

hatred of marriage (Eg: He remained a bachelor not because of misogamy but because of ill fate: his fiancee died before the )

226
Q

misogynist

A

hater of women (Eg: She accused him of being a misogynist because he had been a bachelor all his life. )

227
Q

missile

A

object to be thrown or projected (Eg: Scientists are experimenting with guided missiles. )

228
Q

missive

A

letter (Eg: The ambassador received a missive from the Secretary of State. )

229
Q

mite

A

very small object or creature; small coin (Eg: Gnats are annoying mites that sing. )

230
Q

mitigate

A

appease (Eg: Nothing he did could mitigate her wrath; she was unforgiving. )

231
Q

mnemonic

A

pertaining to memory (Eg: He used mnemonic tricks to master new words. )

232
Q

mobile

A

movable; not fixed (Eg: The mobile blood bank operated by the Red Cross visited our neighborhood today. )

233
Q

mode

A

prevailing style (Eg: She was not used to their lavish mode of living. )

234
Q

modicum

A

limited quantity (Eg: Although his story is based on a modicum of truth, most of the events he describes are fictitious. )

235
Q

modish

A

fashionable (Eg: She always discarded all garments that were no longer modish. )

236
Q

modulation

A

toning down; changing from one key to another (Eg: When we she spoke, it was with quiet modulation of voice. )

237
Q

mogul

A

powerful person (Eg: The oil moguls made great profits when the price of gasoline rose. )

238
Q

molecule

A

the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the properties of that (Eg: substance )

239
Q

mollify

A

soothe (Eg: We tried to mollify the hysterical child by promising her many gifts. )

240
Q

mollycoddle

A

pamper; indulge excessively (Eg: Don’t mollycoddle the boy, Maud! You’ll spoil him. )

241
Q

molt

A

shed or cast off hair or feathers (Eg: The male robin molted in the spring. )

242
Q

molten

A

melted (Eg: The city of Pompeii was destroyed by volcanic ash rather than by molten lava flowing from Mount )

243
Q

momentous

A

very important (Eg: On this momentous occasion, we must be very solemn. )

244
Q

momentum

A

quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus (Eg: The car lost momentum as it tried to ascend the steep hill. )

245
Q

monarchy

A

government under a single hereditary ruler with varying degrees of power (Eg: England today remains a monarchy. )

246
Q

monastic

A

related to monks (Eg: Wanting to live a religious life, he took his monastic vows. )

247
Q

monetary

A

pertaining to money (Eg: Jane held the family purse strings: she made all monetary decisions affecting the household. )

248
Q

monochromatic

A

having only one color (Eg: Most people who are color blind actually can distinguish several colors; some, however, have a truly )

249
Q

monolithic

A

solidly uniform; unyielding (Eg: Knowing the importance of appearing resolute, the patriots sought to present a monolithic front. )

250
Q

monotheism

A

belief in one God (Eg: Abraham was the first to proclaim his belief in monotheism. )

251
Q

monotony

A

sameness leading to boredom (Eg: He took a clerical job, but soon grew to hate the monotony of his daily routine. )

252
Q

monumental

A

massive (Eg: Writing a dictionary is a monumental task. )

253
Q

moodiness

A

fits of depression or gloom (Eg: We could not discover the cause of her recurrent moodiness. )

254
Q

moratorium

A

legal delay of payment (Eg: If we declare a moratorium and delay collection of debts for six months, I am sure the farmers will be able )

255
Q

morbid

A

given to unwholesome thought; gloomy (Eg: These morbid speculations are dangerous; we must lighten our spirits by emphasizing more pleasant )

256
Q

mordant

A

biting; sarcastic; stinging (Eg: Actors feared the critic’s mordant pen. )

257
Q

mores

A

customs (Eg: The mores of Mexico are those of Spain with some modifications. )

258
Q

moribund

A

at the point of death (Eg: The doctors called the family to the bedside of the moribund patient. )

259
Q

morose

A

ill-humored; sullen (Eg: When we first meet Hamlet, we find him morose and depressed. )

260
Q

mortician

A

undertaker (Eg: The mortician prepared the corpse for burial. )

261
Q

mortify

A

humiliate; punish the flesh (Eg: She was so mortified by her blunder that she ran to her room in tears. )

262
Q

mosaic

A

picture made of smell, colorful inlaid tiles (Eg: The mayor compared the ciry to a beautiful mosaic made up of people of every race and religion on earth. )

263
Q

mote

A

small speck (Eg: The tiniest mote in the eye is very painful. )

264
Q

motif

A

theme (Eg: This simple motif runs throughout the score. )

265
Q

motility

A

ability to move spontaneously (Eg: Certain organisms exhibit remarkable motility; motile spores, for example, may travel for miles before )

266
Q

motley

A

parti-colored; mixed (Eg: The captain had gathered a motley crew to sail the vessel. )

267
Q

mottled

A

spotted (Eg: When he blushed, his face took on a mottled hue. )

268
Q

mountebank

A

charlatan; boastful pretender (Eg: The patent medicine man was a mountebank. )

269
Q

muddle

A

confuse; mix up (Eg: His thoughts were muddled and chaotic. )

270
Q

muggy

A

warm and damp (Eg: August in New York City is often muggy. )

271
Q

mulct

A

defraud a person of something (Eg: The lawyer was accused of trying to mulct the boy of his legacy. )

272
Q

multifarious

A

varied; greatly diversified (Eg: A career woman and mother, she was constantly busy with the multifarious activities of her daily life. )

273
Q

multiform

A

having many forms (Eg: Snowflakes are multiform but always hexagonal. )

274
Q

multilingual

A

having many languages (Eg: Because they are bordered by so many countries, the Swiss people are multilingual. )

275
Q

multiplicity

A

state of being numerous (Eg: He was appalled by the multuplicity of details he had to complete before setting out on his mission. )

276
Q

mundane

A

worldly as opposed to spiritual (Eg: He was concerned only with mundane matters, especially the daily stock market quotations. )

277
Q

munificent

A

very generous (Eg: The munificent gift was presented to the bride by her rich uncle. )

278
Q

murkiness

A

darkness; gloom (Eg: The murkiness and fog of the waterfront that evening depressed me. )

279
Q

muse

A

ponder (Eg: For a moment he mused about the beauty of the scene, but his thought soon changed as he recalled his )

280
Q

musky

A

having the odor of musk (Eg: She left a trace of musky perfume behind her. )

281
Q

muster

A

gather; assemble (Eg: Washington mustered his forces at Trenton. )

282
Q

musty

A

stale; spoiled by age (Eg: The attic was dark and musty. )

283
Q

mutable

A

changing in form; fickle (Eg: His opinion were mutable and easily influenced by anyone who had any powers of persuasion. )

284
Q

muted

A

silent; muffled; toned down (Eg: In the funeral parlor, the mourners’ voices had a muted quality. )

285
Q

mutilate

A

maim (Eg: The torturer threatened to mutilate his victim. )

286
Q

mutinous

A

unruly; rebellious (Eg: The captain had to use force to quiet his mutinous crew. )

287
Q

myopic

A

nearsighted (Eg: In thinking only of your present needs and ignoring the future, you are being rather myopic. )

288
Q

myriad

A

very large number (Eg: myriads of mosquitoes from the swamps invaded our village every twilight. )

289
Q

mutter

A

murmur or grumble (Eg: The child muttered at the doll. )

290
Q

millinery

A

person who makes or sells women’s hats (Eg: The millinery displayed fashionable hats in the street where many women passed by. )

291
Q

nadir

A

lowest point (Eg: Although few people realized it, the Dow-Jones averages had reached their nadir and would soon begin an )

292
Q

naivete

A

quality of being unsophisticated (Eg: I cannot believe that such naivete is unassumed in a person of her age and experience. )

293
Q

narcissist

A

conceited person (Eg: A narcissist is his own best friend. )

294
Q

narrative

A

related to telling a story (Eg: A born teller of tales, Olsen used her impressive narrative skills to advantage in her story “I Stand Here )

295
Q

nascent

A

incipient; coming into being (Eg: If we could identify these revolutionary movements in their nascent state, we would be able to eliminate )

296
Q

natation

A

swimming (Eg: The Red Cross emphasizes the need for courses in natation. )

297
Q

natty

A

neatly or smartly dresssed (Eg: Priding himself on being a natty dresser, the gangster Bugsy Siegel collected a wardrobe of imported suits )

298
Q

nauseate

A

cause to become sick; fill with disgust (Eg: The foul smells began to nauseate him. )

299
Q

nautical

A

pertaining to ships or navigation (Eg: The Maritime Museum contains many models of clipper ships, logbooks, anchors and many other items of )

300
Q

nebulous

A

vague; hazy; cloudy (Eg: She had only a nebulous memory of her grandmother’s face. )

301
Q

necromancy

A

black magic; dealings with the dead (Eg: Because he was able to perform feats of necromancy, the natives thought he was in league with the devil. )

302
Q

nefarious

A

very wicked (Eg: He was universally feared because of his many nefarious deeds. )

303
Q

negation

A

denial (Eg: I must accept his argument since you have been unable to present any negation of his evidence. )

304
Q

negligence

A

carelessness (Eg: negligence can prove costly near complicated machinery. )

305
Q

negligible

A

so small, trifling, or unimportant as to be easily disregarded (Eg: Because the damage to his car had been negligible, Michael decided he wouldn’t bother to report the )

306
Q

nemesis

A

revenging agent (Eg: Captain Bligh vowed to be Christian’s nemesis. )

307
Q

neologism

A

new or newly coined word or phrase (Eg: As we invent new techniques and professions, we must also invent neologisms such as “microcomputer” )

308
Q

neophyte

A

recent convert; beginner (Eg: This monuntain slope contains slides that will challenge esperts as well as neophytes. )

309
Q

nepotism

A

favoritism (to a relative) (Eg: John left his position with the company because he felt that advancement was based on nepotism rather )

310
Q

nether

A

lower (Eg: Tradition locates hell in the nether regions. )

311
Q

nettle

A

annoy; vex (Eg: Do not let him nettle you with his sarcastic remarks. )

312
Q

nexus

A

connection (Eg: I fail to see the nexus that binds these two widely separated events. )

313
Q

nib

A

beak; pen point (Eg: The nibs of fountain pens often become clotted and corroded. )

314
Q

nicety

A

precision; minute distinction (Eg: I cannot distinguish between such niceties of reasoning. )

315
Q

niggardly

A

meanly stingy; parsimonious (Eg: The niggardly pittance the widow receives from the government cannot keep her from poverty. )

316
Q

niggle

A

spend too much time on minor points; carp (Eg: Let’s not niggle over details. )

317
Q

nihilism

A

denial of traditional values; total skepticism (Eg: nihilism holds that existence has no meaning. )

318
Q

nirvana

A

Buddihist teachings, the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an (Eg: impersonal beatitude )

319
Q

nocturnal

A

done at night (Eg: Mr. Jones obtained a watchdog to prevent the nocturnal raids on his chicken coops. )

320
Q

noisome

A

foul smelling; unwholesome (Eg: I never could stand the noisome atmosphere surrounding the slaughter houses. )

321
Q

nomadic

A

wandering (Eg: Several nomadic tribes of Indians would hunt in this area each year. )

322
Q

nomenclature

A

terminology; system of names (Eg: She struggled to master scientific nomenclature. )

323
Q

nominal

A

in name only; trifling (Eg: He offered to drive her to the airport for only a nominal fee. )

324
Q

nonchalance

A

indifference; lack of interest (Eg: Few people could understand how he could listen to the news of the tragedy with such nonchalance; the )

325
Q

noncommittal

A

neutral; unpledged; undecided (Eg: We were annoyed by his noncommittal reply for we had been led to expect definite assurances of his )

326
Q

nondescript

A

undistinctive; ordinary (Eg: The private detective was a short, nondescript fellow with no ourstanding features, the sort of person one )

327
Q

nonentity

A

person of no importance; nonexistence (Eg: Don’t dismiss John as a nonentity; in his quiet way, he’s very important to the firm. )

328
Q

nonplus

A

bring to a halt by confusion; perplex (Eg: Jack’s uncharacteristic rudeness nonplussed Jill, leaving her uncertain how to react. )

329
Q

nostalgia

A

homesickness; longing for the past (Eg: The first settlers found so much work to do that they had little time for nostalgia. )

330
Q

nostrum

A

questionable medicine (Eg: No quack selling nostrums is going to cheat me. )

331
Q

notoriety

A

disrepute; ill fame (Eg: To the starlet, any publicity was good publicity: if she couldn’t have a good reputation, she’d settle for )

332
Q

novelty

A

something new; newness (Eg: )

333
Q

novice

A

beginner (Eg: Even a novice can do good work if he follows these simple directions. )

334
Q

noxious

A

harmful (Eg: We must trace the source of these noxious gases before they asphyxiate us. )

335
Q

nuance

A

shade of difference in meaning or color (Eg: The unskilled eye of the layperson has difficulty in dicerning the nuances of color in the paintings. )

336
Q

nubile

A

marrigeable (Eg: Mrs. Bennet, in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, was worried about finding suitable husbands for her )

337
Q

nugatory

A

futile; worthless (Eg: This agreement is nugatory for no court will enforce it. )

338
Q

nullify

A

to make invalid (Eg: Once the contract was nullified, it no longer had any legal force. )

339
Q

numismatist

A

person who collects coins (Eg: The numismatist had a splendid collection of antique coins. )

340
Q

nuptial

A

related to marriage (Eg: Their nuptial ceremony was performed in Golden Gate Park. )

341
Q

nurture

A

nourish; educate; foster (Eg: The head Start program attempts to nurture prekindergarten children so that they will do well when they )

342
Q

nutrient

A

nourishing substance (Eg: As a budding nutritionist, Kim has learned to design diets that contain foods rich in important basic )

343
Q

oaf

A

stupid, awkward person (Eg: He called the unfortunate waiter a clumsy oaf. )

344
Q

obdurate

A

stubborn (Eg: He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints. )

345
Q

obeisance

A

bow (Eg: She made an obeisance as the king and queen entered the room. )

346
Q

obelisk

A

tall column tapering and ending in a pyramid (Eg: Cleopatra’s Needle is an obelisk in New York City’s Central Park. )

347
Q

obese

A

excessively fat (Eg: It is advisable that obese people try to lose weight. )

348
Q

obfuscate

A

confuse; muddle (Eg: Do not obfuscate the issues by dragging in irrelevant arguments. )

349
Q

obituary

A

dealth notice (Eg: I first learned of her death when I read the obituary in the newspaper. )

350
Q

objective

A

not influenced by emotions; fair (Eg: Even though he was her son, she tried to be objective about his behavior. )

351
Q

objective

A

goal; aim (Eg: A degree in medicine was her ultimate objective. )

352
Q

obligatory

A

binding; required (Eg: It is obligatory that books borrowed from the library be returned within two weeks. )

353
Q

oblique

A

slanting; deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line (Eg: The sergeant ordered the men to march “oblique right.” )

354
Q

obliterate

A

destroy completely (Eg: The tidal wave obliterated several island villages. )

355
Q

oblivion

A

forgetfulness (Eg: Her work had fallen into a state of oblivion; no one bothered to read them. )

356
Q

obloquy

A

slander; disgrace; infamy (Eg: I resent the obloquy that you are casting upon my reputation. )

357
Q

obnoxious

A

offensive (Eg: I find your behavior obnoxious; please mend your ways. )

358
Q

obscure

A

dark; vague; unclear (Eg: Even after I read the poem a fourth time, its meaning was still obscure. )

359
Q

obscure

A

darken; make unclear (Eg: At times he seemed purposely to obscure his meaning, preferring mystery to clarity. )

360
Q

obsequious

A

slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic (Eg: Helen valued people who behaved as if they respected themselves; nothing irritated her more than an )

361
Q

obsequy

A

funeral ceremony (Eg: Hundreads paid their last respects at his obsequies. )

362
Q

obsession

A

fixed idea; continued brooding (Eg: This obsession with the supernatural has made him unpopular with his neighbors. )

363
Q

obsidian

A

clak volcanic rock (Eg: The deposits of obsidian on the mountain slopes were an indiacation that volcano had erupted in ancient )

364
Q

obsolete

A

outmoded (Eg: “Hip” is an obsolete expression; it went out with love beads and tie-dye shirts. )

365
Q

obstetrician

A

physician specializing in delivery of babies (Eg: Unlike midwives, who care for women giving birth at home, obstetricians generally work in a hospital )

366
Q

obstinate

A

stubborn (Eg: We tried to persuade him to give up smoking, but he was obstinate and refused to change. )

367
Q

obstreperous

A

boisterous; noisy (Eg: The crowd became obstreperous and shouted their disapproval of the proposals made by the speaker. )

368
Q

obtrusive

A

pushing forward (Eg: I found her a very obstrusive person, constantly seeking the center of the stage. )

369
Q

obtuse

A

blunt; stupid (Eg: Because he was so obtuse, he could not follow the teacher’s reasoning and asked foolish questions. )

370
Q

obviate

A

make unnecessary; get rid of (Eg: I hope this contribution will obviate any need for further collections of funds. )

371
Q

occident

A

the West (Eg: It will take occident to understand the ways and customs of the orient. )

372
Q

occlude

A

shut; close (Eg: A blood clot occluded an artery to the heart. )

373
Q

occult

A

mysterious; secret; supernatural (Eg: The occult rites of the organization were revealed only to members. )

374
Q

oculist

A

physician who specialized in treatment of the eyes (Eg: In many states, an oculist is the only one who may apply medicinal drops to the eyes for the purpose of )

375
Q

odious

A

hateful (Eg: I find the task of punishing you most odious. )

376
Q

odium

A

repugnance; dislike (Eg: I cannot express the odium I feel at your heinous actions. )

377
Q

odoriferous

A

giving off an odor (Eg: )

378
Q

odorous

A

having an odor (Eg: This variety of hybrid tea rose is more odorous than the one you have in your garden. )

379
Q

odyssey

A

long, evenful journey (Eg: The refugee’s journey from Cambodia was a terrifying odyssey. )

380
Q

offensive

A

attacking; insulting; distasteful (Eg: Getting into street brawls is no minor offense for professional boxers, who are required by law to restrict )

381
Q

offhand

A

casual; done without prior thought (Eg: Expecting to be treated with due propriety by her costs, Great-Aunt Maud was offended by their offhand )

382
Q

officious

A

meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one’s services (Eg: After her long flight, Jill just wanted to nap, but the officious bellboy was intent on showing her all the )

383
Q

ogle

A

glance coquettishly at; make eyes at (Eg: Sitting for hours at the sidewalk cafe, the old gentleman would oggle the young girls and recall his youthful )

384
Q

olfactory

A

concerning the sense of smell (Eg: The olfactory organ is the nose. )

385
Q

oligarchy

A

government by a few (Eg: The feudal oligarchy was supplanted by an autocracy. )

386
Q

ominous

A

threatening (Eg: Those clouds are ominous; they suggest that a severe storm is on the way. )

387
Q

omnipotent

A

all-powerful (Eg: The monarch regarded himself as omnipotent and responsible to no one for his acts. )

388
Q

omnipresent

A

universally present; ubiquitous (Eg: On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus is omnipotent. )

389
Q

omniscient

A

all-knowing (Eg: I do not pretend to be omniscient, but I am positive about this fact. )

390
Q

omnivorous

A

eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything (Eg: Some animals, including humans, are omnivorous and eat both meat and vegetables; others are either )

391
Q

onerous

A

burdensome (Eg: He asked for an assistant because his work load was too onerous. )

392
Q

onomatopoeia

A

words formed in imitation of natural sounds (Eg: Words like “rustle” and “gargle” are illustrations of onomatopoeia. )

393
Q

onslaught

A

vicious assault (Eg: We suffered many casualties during unexpected onslaght of the enemy troops. )

394
Q

onus

A

burden; responsibility (Eg: The emperor was spared the onus of signing the surrender papers; instead, he relegated the assignment to )

395
Q

opalescent

A

iridescent (Eg: The Ancient Mariner admired the opalescent sheen on the water. )

396
Q

opaque

A

dark; not transparent (Eg: The opaque window kept the sunlight out of the room. )

397
Q

opiate

A

sleep producer; deadener of pain (Eg: By such opiates, she made the people forget their difficulties and accept their unpleasant circumstances. )

398
Q

opportune

A

timely; well chosen (Eg: You have come at an opportune moment for I need a new secretary. )

399
Q

opportunist

A

individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances (Eg: Forget about ethics! He’s such an opportunist that he’ll vote in favor of any deal that will give him a break. )

400
Q

opprobrium

A

infamy; vilification (Eg: He refused to defend himself against the slander and opprobrium hurled against him by the newspapers; he )

401
Q

optician

A

maker and seller of eyeglasses (Eg: The patient took the prescription given him by his oculist to the optician. )

402
Q

optimist

A

person who looks on the bright side (Eg: The pessimist says the glass is half-empty; the optimist says it is half-full. )

403
Q

optimum

A

most favorable (Eg: If you wait for the optimum moment to act, you may never begin your project . )

404
Q

optional

A

not compulsory; left to one’s choice (Eg: I was impressed by the range of optional accessories for my microcomputer that were available. )

405
Q

optometrist

A

one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects (Eg: Although an optometrist is qualified to treat many eye disorders, she may not use medicinesor surgery in )

406
Q

opulence

A

extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance (Eg: The glitter and opulence of the ballroom took Cinderella’s breath away. )

407
Q

opus

A

work (Eg: )

408
Q

oracular

A

foretelling; mysterious (Eg: Oedipus could not understand the oracular warning he received. )

409
Q

oratorio

A

dramatic poem set to music (Eg: The Glee Club decided to present an oratorio during their recital. )

410
Q

ordain

A

command; arrange; consecrate (Eg: The king ordained that no foreigner should be allowed to enter the city. )

411
Q

ordeal

A

severe trial or affliction (Eg: Terry Anderson spoke movingly of his long ordeal as a hostage in Lebanon. )

412
Q

ordinance

A

decree (Eg: Passing a red light is a violation of a city ordinance. )

413
Q

ordination

A

ceremony conferring holy orders (Eg: The candidate for ordination had to meet with the bishop and the diocean officers before being judged )

414
Q

orient

A

get one’s bearings; adjust (Eg: Philip spent his first day in Denver orienting himself to the city. )

415
Q

orientation

A

act of finding oneself in society (Eg: Freshman orientation provides the incoming students with an opportunity to learn about their new )

416
Q

orifice

A

mouthlike opening; small opening (Eg: The Howe Caverns were discovered when someone observed that a cold wind was issuing from an orifice )

417
Q

ornate

A

excessively or elaborately decorated (Eg: Furniture of the Baroque period can be recognized by its ornate carvings. )

418
Q

ornithologist

A

scientific student of birds (Eg: Auduborn’s drawings of American bird life have been of interest not only to the ornithologists but also to )

419
Q

orthodox

A

traditional; conservative in belief (Eg: Faced with a problem, he preferred to take an orthodox approach rather than shock anyone. )

420
Q

orthography

A

correct spelling (Eg: Many of us find English orthography difficult to master because so many of our words are written )

421
Q

oscillate

A

vibrate pendulumlike; waver (Eg: It is interesting to note how public opinion oscillates between the extremes of optimism and pessimism. )

422
Q

osseus

A

made of bone; bony (Eg: The hollow “soft spot” found at the top of the infant’s skull gradually closes as new osseus tissue fills in the )

423
Q

ossify

A

change or harden into bone (Eg: When he called his opponent a “bonehead,” he implied that his adversary’s brain had ossified and that he )

424
Q

ostensible

A

apparent; professed; pretended (Eg: Although the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands, we are really interested in )

425
Q

ostentatious

A

showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention (Eg: Trump’s latest casino in Atlantic City is the most ostentatious gambling place in the East: it easily )

426
Q

ostracize

A

exclude from public favor; ban (Eg: As soon as the newspapers carried the story of his connection with the criminals, his friends began to )

427
Q

oust

A

expel; drive out (Eg: The world wondered if Aquino would be able to oust Marcos from office. )

428
Q

outlandish

A

bizzare; peculiar; unconventional (Eg: The eccentric professor who engages in markedly outlandish behavior is a stock figure in novels with an )

429
Q

outmoded

A

no longer stylish; old-fahioned (Eg: Unconcerned about keeping in style, Lenore was perfectly happy to wear outmoded clothes as long as they )

430
Q

outskirts

A

fringes; outer borders (Eg: Living outskirts of Boston, Sarah sometimes felt as if she were cut off from the cultural heart of the city. )

431
Q

outspoken

A

candid; blunt (Eg: The candidate was too outspoken to be a successful politician; he had not yet learned to weigh his words )

432
Q

outrtip

A

surpass; outdo (Eg: Jesse Owens easily outstripped his competitors to win the gold metal at the Olympic Games. )

433
Q

outwit

A

outsmart; trick (Eg: By disguising himself as an old woman, Holmes was able to outwit his pursuers and escape capture. )

434
Q

ovation

A

enthusiastic applause (Eg: When Placido Domingo came on stage in the first act of La Boheme, he was greeted by a tremendous )

435
Q

overbearing

A

bossy; arrogant; decisively important (Eg: )

436
Q

overt

A

open to view (Eg: According to the United States Constitution, a person must commit an overt act before he may be tried for )

437
Q

overweening

A

presumptuous; arrogant (Eg: His overweening pride in his accomplishments was not justified. )

438
Q

overwrought

A

extremely agitated; hysterical (Eg: When Kate heard the news of the sudden tragedy, she became too overwrought to work and had to leave )

439
Q

ovoid

A

egg-shaped (Eg: At Easter she had to cut out hundreds of brightly colored ovoid shapes. )

440
Q

overhaul

A

thoroughly examine the condition of and repair if necessary (Eg: It is necessary for the engineers of NASA to overhaul the rocket everyday; otherwise, an incident similar to )

441
Q

pachyderm

A

thick-skinned animal (Eg: The elephant is probably the best-known pachyderm. )

442
Q

pacifist

A

one opposed to force; antimilitarist (Eg: The pacifists urged that we reduce our military budget and recall our troops stationed overseas. )

443
Q

pacify

A

soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue (Eg: Dentists criticize the practice of giving fussy children sweets to pacify them. )

444
Q

paean

A

song of praise or joy (Eg: paeans celebrating the victory filled the air. )

445
Q

painstaking

A

showing hard work; taking great care (Eg: The new high-frequency word list is the result of painstaking efforts on the part of our research staff. )

446
Q

palatable

A

agreeable; pleasing to the taste (Eg: Neither Jack’s underbaked opinions nor his overcooked casseroles were palatable to me. )

447
Q

palatial

A

magnificent (Eg: He proudly showed us through his palatial home. )

448
Q

paleontology

A

study of prehistoric life (Eg: )

449
Q

palette

A

board on which a painter mixes pigments (Eg: At the present time, art supply stores are selling a paper palette that may be discarded after use. )

450
Q

palimpsest

A

parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased (Eg: Using chemical reagents, scientists have been able to restore the original writings on many palimpsests. )

451
Q

pall

A

grow tiresome (Eg: The study of word lists can eventually pall and put one to sleep. )

452
Q

pallet

A

small, poor bed (Eg: The weary traveler went to sleep on his straw pallet. )

453
Q

palliate

A

ease pain; make less severe or offensive (Eg: If we cannot cure this disease at present, we can, at least try to palliate the symptoms. )

454
Q

pallid

A

pale; wan (Eg: Because his occupation required that he work at night and sleep during the day, he had an exceptionally )

455
Q

palpable

A

tangible; easily perceptible (Eg: I cannot understand how you could overlook such a palpable blunder. )

456
Q

palpitate

A

throb; flutter (Eg: As he became excited, his heart began to palpitate more and more erratically. )

457
Q

paltry

A

insignificant; petty (Eg: This is a paltry sum to pay for such a masterpiece. )

458
Q

pan

A

criticize harshly (Eg: Hoping for a rave review of his new show, the playwright was miserable when the critics panned it )

459
Q

panacea

A

cure-all; remedy for all diseases (Eg: There is no easy panacea that will solve our complicated international situation. )

460
Q

panache

A

flair; flamboyance (Eg: Many performers imitate Noel Coward, but few have his panache and sense of style. )

461
Q

pandemic

A

widespread; affecting the majority of people (Eg: They feared the AIDS epidemic would soon reach pandemic proportions. )

462
Q

pandemonium

A

wild tumult (Eg: When the ships collided in the harbor, pandemonium broke out among the passengers. )

463
Q

pander

A

cater to the low desires of others (Eg: The reviewer accused the makers of Lethal Weapon of pandering to the masses’ taste of violence. )

464
Q

panegyric

A

formal praise (Eg: The modest hero blushed to hear the speakers delivering panegyrics about his valorous act. )

465
Q

panoramic

A

denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view (Eg: On a clear day, from the top of the World Trade Center you can get a panoramic view of New York City )

466
Q

pantomime

A

acting without dialogue (Eg: Because he worked in pantomime, the clown could be understood wherever he appeared. )

467
Q

papyrus

A

ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant (Eg: The ancient Egyptians were among the first to write on papyrus. )

468
Q

parable

A

short, simple story teaching a moral (Eg: Let us apply to our own conduct the lesson that this parable teaches. )

469
Q

paradigm

A

model; example; pattern (Eg: Pavlov’s experiment in which he trains a dog to salivate on hearing a bell is a paradigm of the conditioned- )

470
Q

paradox

A

statement that looks false but is actually correct; a contradictory statement (Eg: Wordworth’s “The child is father to the man” is an example of paradox. )

471
Q

paragon

A

model of perfection (Eg: The class disliked him because the teacher was always pointing him out as a paragon of virtue. )

472
Q

parallelism

A

state of being parallel; similarity (Eg: There is a striking parallelism between the twins. )

473
Q

parameter

A

limit; independent variable (Eg: We need to define the parameters of the problem. )

474
Q

paramount

A

foremost in importance; supreme (Eg: Proper nutrition and hygiene are of paramount importance in adolescent development and growth. )

475
Q

paramour

A

illicit lover (Eg: She sought a divorce on the grounds that her husband had a paramour in another town. )

476
Q

paranoia

A

psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution (Eg: Suffering from paranois, he claimed everyone was out to get him; ironically, his claim was accurate; even )

477
Q

paraphernalia

A

equipment; odds and ends (Eg: His desk was cluttered with paper, pen, ink, dictionary and other paraphernalia of the writing craft. )

478
Q

paraphrase

A

restate a passage in one’s own words while retaining thought of author (Eg: In 250 words or less, paraphrase this article. )

479
Q

parasite

A

animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant (Eg: )

480
Q

parched

A

extremely dry; very thirsty (Eg: The parched desert landscape seemed hostile to life. )

481
Q

pariah

A

social outcast (Eg: I am not a pariah to be shunned and ostracized. )

482
Q

parity

A

equality; close resemblance (Eg: I find your analogy inaccurate because I do not see the parity between the two illustrations. )

483
Q

parlance

A

language; idiom (Eg: All this legal parlance confuses me; I need an interpreter. )

484
Q

parley

A

conference (Eg: The peace parley has not produced the anticipated truce. )

485
Q

parochial

A

narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes (Eg: Although Jane Austen writes novels set in small rural communities, her concerns are universal, not )

486
Q

parody

A

humorous imitation; travesty (Eg: We enjoyed the clever parodies of popular songs that the chorus sang. )

487
Q

paroxysm

A

fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage (Eg: When he heared of his son’s misdeeds, he was seized by a paroxysm of rage. )

488
Q

parquet

A

floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosic-like pattern. (Eg: In laying the floor, the carpenters combined redwood and oak in an elegant parquet. )

489
Q

parry

A

ward off a blow (Eg: He was content to wage a defensive battle and tried to parry his opponent’s thrusts. )

490
Q

parsimonious

A

stingy; excessively frugal (Eg: His parsimonious nature did not permit him to enjoy any luxuries. )

491
Q

partial

A

incomplete (Eg: In this issue we have published only a partial list of contributors because we lack space to acknowledge )

492
Q

partial

A

biased; having a liking for something (Eg: I am extremely partial to chocolate eclairs. )

493
Q

partiality

A

inclination; bias (Eg: As a judge, not only must I be unbiased, but I must also avoid any evidence of partiality when I award the )

494
Q

partisan

A

one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party (Eg: On certain issues of conscience, she refused to take a partisan stand. )

495
Q

passe

A

old-fashioned; past the prime (Eg: Her style is passe and reminiscent of the Victorian era. )

496
Q

passive

A

not active; acted upon (Eg: Mahatma Gandhi urged his followers to pursue a program of passive resistance as he felt that it was more )

497
Q

pastiche

A

imitation of another’s style in musical composition or in writing (Eg: We cannot even say that her music is a pastiche of this or that composer; it is rather, reminiscent of many )

498
Q

pastoral

A

rural (Eg: In these stories of pastoral life, we find an understanding of the daily tasks of country folk. )

499
Q

patent

A

open for the public to read; obvious (Eg: It was patent to everyone that the witness spoke the truth. )

500
Q

pathetic

A

causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching (Eg: Everyone in the auditorium was weeping by the time he finished his pathetic tale about the orphaned boy. )