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1
Q

pathological

A

pertaining to disease (Eg: As we study the pathological aspects of this disease, we must not overlook the psychological elements. )

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2
Q

pathos

A

tender to sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings. (Eg: The quiet tone of pathos that ran through the novel never degenerated into the maudlin or the overly )

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3
Q

patina

A

green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painting (Eg: Judging by the patina on this bronze statue, we can conclude that this is the work of a medieval artist. )

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4
Q

patois

A

local or provincial dialect (Eg: His years of study of the language at the university did not enable him to understand the patois of the )

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5
Q

patriarch

A

father and ruler of a family or tribe (Eg: In many primitive tribes, the leader and lawmaker was the patriarch. )

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6
Q

patrician

A

noble; aristocratic (Eg: We greatly admired her well-bred, patrician elegance )

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7
Q

patronize

A

support; act superior toward (Eg: Experts in a field sometimes appear to patronize people who are less knowledgeable of the subject. )

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8
Q

paucity

A

scarcity (Eg: They closed the restaurant because the paucity of customers made it uneconomical to operate. )

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9
Q

pauper

A

very poor person (Eg: Though Widow Brown was living on a reduced income, she was by no means a pauper. )

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10
Q

peccadillo

A

slight offense (Eg: If we examine these escapades carefully, we will realize that they are mere peccadilloes rather than major )

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11
Q

pecuniary

A

pertaining to money (Eg: I never expected a pecuniary reward for my work in this activity. )

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12
Q

pedagogue

A

teacher (Eg: He could never be a stuffy pedagogue; his classes were always lively and filled with humor. )

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13
Q

pedagogy

A

teaching; art of education (Eg: Though Maria Montessori gained fame for her innovations in pedagogy, it took years before her teaching )

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14
Q

pedant

A

scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities (Eg: Her insistence that the book be memorized marked the teacher as a pedant rather than a scholar. )

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15
Q

pedantic

A

showing off learning; bookish (Eg: Leaving his decisions with humorous, down-to-earth anecdotes, Judge Walker was not at all pedantic legal )

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16
Q

pedestrian

A

ordinary; unimaginative (Eg: Unintentionally boring, he wrote page after page of pedestrian prose. )

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17
Q

pediatrician

A

physician specializing in children’s diseases. (Eg: The family doctor advised the parents to consult a pediatrician about their child’s ailment. )

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18
Q

pejorative

A

negative in connotation; having a belittling effect. (Eg: Instead of criticizing Clinton’s policies, the Republicans made pejorative remarks about his character. )

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19
Q

pellmell

A

in confusion; disorderly (Eg: The excited students dashed pellmell into the stadium to celebrate the victory. )

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20
Q

pellucid

A

transparent; limpid; easy to understand (Eg: After reading these stodgy philosophers, I find his pellucid style very enjoyable. )

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21
Q

penance

A

self-imposed punishment for sin (Eg: The Ancient Mariner said, “I have penance done and penance more will do,” to atone for the sin of killing )

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22
Q

penchant

A

strong inclination; liking (Eg: He had a strong penchant for sculpture and owned many statues. )

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23
Q

pendant

A

hanging down from something (Eg: Her pendant earrings glistened in the light. )

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24
Q

pendant

A

ornament (hanging from a necklace, etc.) (Eg: The grateful team presented the coach with a silver chain and pendant engraved with the school’s motto. )

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25
Q

pendulous

A

hanging; suspended (Eg: The pendulous chandeliers swayed in the breeze as if they were about to fall from the ceiling. )

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26
Q

penitent

A

repentant (Eg: When he realized the enormity of his crime, he became remorseful and penitent. )

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27
Q

pensive

A

dreamily thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness (Eg: The pensive youth gazed at the painting for a long time and then sighed. )

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28
Q

penumbra

A

partial shadow (in an eclipse) (Eg: During an eclipse, we can see an area of total darkness and a lighter area, which is the penumbra. )

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29
Q

penurious

A

stingy; parsimonious (Eg: He was a penurious man, averse to spending money even for the necessities of life. )

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30
Q

penury

A

extreme poverty (Eg: When his pension fund failed, George feared he would end his days in penury. )

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31
Q

peon

A

landless agricultural worker; bond servant (Eg: The land reformers sought to liberate the peons and establish them as independent farmers. )

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32
Q

perceptive

A

insightful; aware; wise (Eg: Although Maud was a generally perceptive critic, she had her blind sports: she could never see flaws in the )

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33
Q

percussion

A

striking one object against another sharply (Eg: The drum is a percussion instrument. )

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34
Q

perdition

A

damnation; complete ruin (Eg: Praying for salvation, young Daedalus feared he was damned to eternal perdition. )

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35
Q

peregrination

A

journey (Eg: Auntie Mame was a world traveler whose peregrinations took her from Tiajuana to Timbuctoo. )

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36
Q

peremptory

A

demanding and leaving no choice (Eg: From Jack’s peremptory knock on the door, Jill could tell he would not give up until she let him in. )

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37
Q

perennial

A

something long-lasting (Eg: Tese plants are hardy perennials and will bloom for many years. )

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38
Q

perifidious

A

treacherous; disloyal (Eg: When Caesar realized that Brutus had betrayed him, he reproached his perfidious friend. )

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39
Q

perforate

A

pierce; put a hole through (Eg: Before you can open the aspirin bottle, you must first perforate the plastic safety seal that covers the cap. )

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40
Q

perfunctory

A

superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm (Eg: The auditor’s perfunctory inspection of the books overlooked many errors. )

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41
Q

perigee

A

point of moon’s orbit when it is nearest the earth (Eg: The rocket which was designed to take photographs of the moon was launched as the moon approached )

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42
Q

perimeter

A

outer boundary (Eg: To find the perimeter of any quadrilateral, we add the lengths of the four sides. )

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43
Q

peripatetic

A

walking about; moving (Eg: The peripatetic school of philosophy derives its name from the fact that Aristotle walked with his pupils )

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44
Q

peripheral

A

marginal; outer (Eg: We lived, not in central London, but in one of those peripheral suburbs that spring up on the outskirts of )

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45
Q

periphery

A

edge, especially of a round surface (Eg: He sensed that there was something just beyond the periphery of his vision. )

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46
Q

perjury

A

false testimony while under oath (Eg: When several witnesses appeared to challenge his story, he was indicted for perjury. )

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47
Q

permeable

A

porous; allowing passage through (Eg: Glass is permeable to light. )

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48
Q

pernicious

A

very destructive, harmful (Eg: He argued that these books had a pernicious effect on young and susceptible minds. )

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49
Q

peroration

A

conclusion of an oration (Eg: The peroration was largely hortatory and brought the audience to its feet clamoring for action at its close. )

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50
Q

perpetrate

A

commit an offense (Eg: Only an insane person could perpetrate such a horrible crime. )

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51
Q

perpetual

A

everlasting (Eg: Ponce de Leon hoped to find perpetual youth. )

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52
Q

perquisite

A

any gain above stipulated salary (Eg: The perquisites attached to this job make it even more attractive than the salary indicates. )

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53
Q

personable

A

attractive (Eg: The man I am seeking to fill this position must be personable since he will be representing us before the )

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54
Q

perspicacious

A

having insight; penetrating; astute (Eg: The brillant lawyer was known for his perspicacious deductions. )

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55
Q

perspicuity

A

clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity (Eg: One of the outstanding features of this book is the perspicuity of its author; her meaning is always clear. )

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56
Q

perspicuous

A

plainly expressed (Eg: Her perspicuous comments eliminated all posibility of misinterpretation. )

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57
Q

pert

A

impertinent; forward (Eg: I think your pert and impudent remarks call for an apology. )

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58
Q

pertinacious

A

stubborn; persistent (Eg: He is bound to succeed because his pertinacious nature will not permit him to quit. )

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59
Q

pertinent

A

suitable; to the point (Eg: The lawyer wanted to know all the pertinent details. )

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60
Q

perturb

A

disturb greatly (Eg: I am afraid this news will perturb him and cause him grief. )

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61
Q

perusal

A

reading (Eg: I am certain that you have missed important details in your rapid perusal of this document. )

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62
Q

pervasive

A

spread throughout (Eg: Despite airing them for several hours, she could not rid her clothes of the pervasive odor of mothbals that )

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63
Q

perverse

A

stubbornly wrongheaded; wicked and unacceptable (Eg: When Hannibal Lecter was in a perverse mood, he ate the flesh of his victims. )

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64
Q

perversion

A

corruption; turning from right to wrong (Eg: Inasmuch as he had no motive for his crimes, we could not understand his perversion. )

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65
Q

pessimism

A

belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess (Eg: The good news we have been receiving lately indicates that there is little reason for your pessimism. )

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66
Q

pestilential

A

causing plague; baneful (Eg: People were afraid to explore the pestilential swap. )

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67
Q

pestle

A

tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl (Eg: From the way in which the elderly pharmacist pounded the drug with his pestle, young George could tell )

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68
Q

petrify

A

turn to stone (Eg: His sudden and unexpected appearance seemed to petrify her. )

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69
Q

petty

A

trivial; unimportant; very small (Eg: She had no major complaints to make about his work, only a few petty quibbles that were almost too )

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70
Q

petulant

A

touchy; peevish (Eg: The feverish patient was petulant and restless. )

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71
Q

pharisaical

A

pertaining to Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; self-righteous; (Eg: hypocritical )

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72
Q

phenomena

A

observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation (Eg: We kept careful records of the phenomena we noted in the course of these experiments. )

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73
Q

philanderer

A

faithless lover; flirt (Eg: Swearing he had never so much as looked at another woman, Jack assured Jill he was no philanderer. )

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74
Q

philanthropist

A

lover of mankind; doer of good (Eg: As he grew older, he became famous as a philanthropist and benefactor of the needy. )

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75
Q

philatelist

A

stamp-collector (Eg: When she heard the value of the Penny Black stamp, Phyllis was inspired to become a philatelist. )

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76
Q

philistine

A

narrow-minded person, uncultured and exculsively interested in material gain (Eg: We need more men of culture and enlightenment; we have too many philistines among us. )

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77
Q

philology

A

study of language (Eg: The professor of philology advocated the use of Esperanto as an international language. )

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78
Q

phlegmatic

A

calm; not easily disturbed (Eg: The nurse was a cheerful but phlegmatic person, unexcited in the face of sudden emergencies. )

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79
Q

phobia

A

morbid fear (Eg: Her fear of flying was more than mere nervousness; it was a real phobia. )

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80
Q

physiognomy

A

face (Eg: He prided himself on his ability to analyze a person’s character by studying his physiognomy. )

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81
Q

physiological

A

pertaining to the science of the function of living organisms (Eg: To understand this disease fully, we must examine not only its physiological aspects but also its )

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82
Q

piebald

A

of different colors; motled; spotted (Eg: You should be able to identify Polka Dot in this race; he is the only piebald horse running. )

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83
Q

pied

A

variegated; multicolored (Eg: The pied piper of Hamelin got his name from the multicolored clothing he wore. )

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84
Q

piety

A

devoutness; reverence for God (Eg: Living her life in prayer and good works, Mother Teresa exemplifies the true sprit of piety. )

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85
Q

pigment

A

coloring matter (Eg: Van Gogh mixed various pigments with linseed oil to create his paints. )

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86
Q

pillage

A

plunder (Eg: )

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87
Q

pillory

A

punish by placing in a wooden frame; subject to criticism and ridicule (Eg: Even though he was mocked and pilloried, he maintained that he was correct in his beliefs. )

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88
Q

pine

A

languish, decline; long for, yearn (Eg: Though she tried to be happy living with Clara in the city, Heidi pined for the mountains and for her gruff )

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89
Q

pinion

A

restrain (Eg: They pinioned his arms against his body but left his legs free so that he could move about. )

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90
Q

pinnacle

A

peak (Eg: We could see the morning sunlight illuminate the pinnacle while the rest of the mountain lay in shadow. )

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91
Q

pious

A

devout (Eg: The pious parents gave their children a religious upbringing. )

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92
Q

piquant

A

pleasantly tart-tasting; stimulating (Eg: The piquant sauce added to our enjoyment of the meal. )

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93
Q

pique

A

irritation; resentment (Eg: She showed her pique by her refusal to appear with the other contestants at the end of the contest. )

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94
Q

piscatorial

A

pertaining to fishing (Eg: He spent many happy hours at the lake in his piscatorial activities. )

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95
Q

pithy

A

concise; meaty (Eg: I enjoy reading his essays because they are always compact and pithy. )

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96
Q

pittance

A

a small allowance or wage (Eg: He could not live on the pittance he received as a pension and had to look for an additional source of )

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97
Q

pivotal

A

central; critical (Eg: De Klerk’s decision to set Nelson Mandela free was pivotal; without Mandela’s release, there was no )

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98
Q

placate

A

pacify; conciliate (Eg: The teacher tried to placate the angry mother. )

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99
Q

placebo

A

harmless substance prescribed as a dummy pill (Eg: In a controlled experiment, fifty volunteers were given erythromycin tablets; the control group received )

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100
Q

placid

A

peaceful; calm (Eg: After his vacation in this placid section, he felt soothed and rested. )

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101
Q

plagiarize

A

steal another’s ideas and pass them off as one’s own (Eg: )

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102
Q

plaintive

A

mournful (Eg: The dove has a plaintive and melancholy call )

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103
Q

plasticity

A

ability to be molded (Eg: When clay dries out, it loses its plasticity and becomes less malleable. )

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104
Q

platitude

A

trite remark; commonplace statement (Eg: The platitudes in his speech were applauded by the vast majority in his audience; only a few people )

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105
Q

platonic

A

purely spiritual; theoretical; without sensual desire (Eg: Accused of impropriety in his dealings with female students, the professor maintained he had only a )

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106
Q

plauditory

A

approving; applauding (Eg: The theatrical company reprinted the plauditory comments of the critics in its advertisement. )

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107
Q

plausible

A

having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious (Eg: Even though your argument is plausible, I still would like to have more proof. )

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108
Q

plebeian

A

common; pertaining to the common people (Eg: His speeches were aimed at the plebeian minds and emotions; they disgusted the more refined. )

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109
Q

plenary

A

complete; full (Eg: The union leader was given plenary power to negotiate a new contract with the employers. )

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110
Q

plenitude

A

abundance; completeness (Eg: Looking in the pantry, we admired the plenitude of fruits and pickles we had preserved during the summer. )

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111
Q

plethora

A

excess; overabundance (Eg: She offered a plethora of excuses for her shortcomings. )

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112
Q

pliable

A

flexible; yielding; adaptable (Eg: In remodeling the bathroom, we replaced all the old, rigid lead pipes with new, pliable copper tubing. )

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113
Q

pliant

A

flexible; easily influenced (Eg: Catherine’s disposition was pliant; she was like putty in her suitor’s hands. )

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114
Q

pluck

A

courage (Eg: Even the adversaries of young Indiana Jones were impressed by the boy’s pluck in trying to rescue the )

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115
Q

plumb

A

vertical (Eg: Before hanging wallpaper it is advisable to drop a plumb line from the ceiling as a guide. )

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116
Q

plummet

A

fall sharply (Eg: )

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117
Q

plutocracy

A

society ruled by the wealthy (Eg: From the way the government caters to the rich, you might think our society is a plutocracy rather than a )

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118
Q

podiatrist

A

doctor who treats ailments of the feet (Eg: He consulted a podiatrist about his fallen arches. )

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119
Q

podium

A

pedestal; raised platform (Eg: The audience applauded as the conductor made his way to the podium. )

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120
Q

poignancy

A

quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion (Eg: Watching the tearful reunion of the long-separated mother and child, the social worker was touched by the )

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121
Q

polarize

A

split into opposite extremes or camps (Eg: The abortion issue has polarized the country into pro-choice and anti-abortion camps. )

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122
Q

polemic

A

controversy; argument in support of point of view (Eg: Her essays were, for the main part, polemics for the party’s policy. )

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123
Q

politic

A

expedient; prudent; well devised (Eg: Even though he was disappointed, he did not think it politic to refuse the offer. )

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124
Q

polity

A

form of government of nation or state (Eg: Our polity should be devoted to the concept that the government should strive for the good of all citizens. )

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125
Q

polygamist

A

one who has more than one spouse at a time (Eg: He was arrested as a polygamist when his two wives filed complaints about him. )

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126
Q

polyglot

A

speaking several languages (Eg: New York City is a polyglot community because of the thousands of immigrants who settle there. )

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127
Q

pomposity

A

self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt (Eg: Although the commencement speaker had some good things to say, we had to laugh at his pomposity and )

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128
Q

ponderous

A

weighty; unwieldy (Eg: His humor lacked the light touch; his jokes were always ponderous. )

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129
Q

pontifical

A

pertaining to a bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious (Eg: From the very beginning of his ministry it was clear from his pontifical pronouncements that John was )

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130
Q

pore

A

study industriously; ponder; scrutinize (Eg: Determined to become a physician, Beth spends hours poring over her anatomy text. )

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131
Q

porous

A

full of pores; like a sieve (Eg: )

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132
Q

portend

A

foretell; presage (Eg: The king did not know what these omens might portend and asked his soothsayers to interpret them. )

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133
Q

portent

A

sign; omen; forewarning (Eg: He regarded the black cloud as a portent of evil. )

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134
Q

portly

A

stout; corpulent (Eg: The salesclerk tactfully referred to the overweight customer as portly rather than fat. )

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135
Q

poseur

A

person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc., to impress others (Eg: Some thought Dali was a brillant painter; others dismissed him as a poseur. )

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136
Q

posterity

A

descendants; future generations (Eg: We hope to leave a better world to posterity. )

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137
Q

posthumous

A

after death (as of child born after father’s death or book published after author’s death) (Eg: The critics ignored his works during his lifetime; it was only after the posthumous publication of his last )

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138
Q

postulate

A

self-evident truth (Eg: We must accept these statements as postulates before pursuing our discussions any further. )

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139
Q

posture

A

assume an affected pose; act artificially (Eg: No matter how much Arnold boasted or postured, I could not believe he was as important as he pretended )

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140
Q

potable

A

suitable for drinking (Eg: The recent drought in the Middle Atlantic States has emphasized the need for extensive research in ways of )

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141
Q

potent

A

powerful; persuasive; greatly influential (Eg: The jury was swayed by the highly potent testimony of the crime’s sole eyewitness. )

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142
Q

potentate

A

monarch; sovereign (Eg: The potentate spent more time at Monte Carlo than he did at home on his throne. )

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143
Q

potential

A

expressing possibility; latent (Eg: The juvenile delinquent is a potential murderer. )

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144
Q

potion

A

dose (of liquid) (Eg: Tristan and Lsolde drink a love potion in the first act of the opera. )

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145
Q

potpourri

A

heterogeneous mixture; medley (Eg: He offered a potpourri of folk songs from many lands. )

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146
Q

poultice

A

soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body (Eg: He was advised to apply a flaxseed poultice to the inflammation. )

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147
Q

practicable

A

feasible (Eg: The board of directors decided that the plan was practicable and agreed to undertake the project. )

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148
Q

practical

A

based on experience; useful (Eg: He was a practical man, opposed to theory )

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149
Q

pragmatic

A

practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with the practical worth or impact of (Eg: something )

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150
Q

pragmatist

A

practical person (Eg: No pragmatist enjoys becoming involved in a game that he can never win )

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151
Q

prate

A

speak foolishly; boast idly (Eg: Let us not prate about our qualities; rather, let our virtues speak for themselves. )

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152
Q

prattle

A

babble (Eg: The children prattle endlessly about their new toys. )

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153
Q

preamble

A

introductory statement (Eg: In the preamble to the Constitution, the purpose of the document is set forth. )

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154
Q

precarious

A

uncertain; risky (Eg: I think this stock is a precarious investment and advise against its purchase. )

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155
Q

precedent

A

something preceding in time that may be used as an authority or guide for future action (Eg: This decision sets a precedent for future cases of a similar nature. )

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156
Q

precedent

A

preceding in time, rank, etc. (Eg: Our discussions, precedent to this event, certainly did not give you any reason to believe that we would )

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157
Q

precept

A

practical rule guiding conduct (Eg: “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is a worthwhile precept. )

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158
Q

precipice

A

cliff; dangerous position (Eg: Suddenly Indiana Jones found himself dangling from the edge of a precipice. )

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159
Q

precipitate

A

headlong; rash (Eg: Do not be precipitate in this matter; investigate further. )

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160
Q

precipitate

A

throw headlong; hasten (Eg: The removal of American political support appeared to have precipitated the downfall of the Marcos )

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161
Q

precipitous

A

steep; overhasty (Eg: This hill is difficult to climb because it is so precipitous; one slip, and our descent will be precipitous as )

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162
Q

precise

A

exact (Eg: If you don’t give me precise directions and a map, I’ll never find your place. )

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163
Q

preclude

A

make impossible; eliminate (Eg: This contract does not preclude my being employed by others at the same time that I am working for you. )

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164
Q

precocious

A

advanced in development (Eg: By her rather adult manner of discussing serious topics, the child demonstrated that she was precocious. )

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165
Q

precursor

A

forerunner (Eg: Though Gray and Burns share many traits with the Romantic poets who followed them, most critics )

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166
Q

predatory

A

plundering (Eg: The hawk is a predatory bird. )

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167
Q

predecessor

A

former occupant of a post (Eg: I hope I can live up to the fine example set by my late predecessor in this office. )

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168
Q

predilection

A

partiality; preference (Eg: Although the artist used various media from time to time, she had a predilection for watercolors. )

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169
Q

preeminent

A

outstanding; superior (Eg: The king traveled to Boston because he wanted the preeminent surgeon in the field to perform the )

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170
Q

preempt

A

head off; forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself; supplant (Eg: Hoping to preempt any attempts by the opposition to make educational reform a hot political issue, the )

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171
Q

preen

A

make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction (Eg: As Kitty preened before the mirror, carefully smoothing her shining hair, she couldn’t help preening herself )

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172
Q

prefactory

A

introductory (Eg: The chairman made a few prefactory remarks before he called on the first speaker. )

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173
Q

prehensile

A

capable of grasping or holding (Eg: Monkeys use not only their arms and legs but also their prehensile tails in traveling through the trees. )

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174
Q

prelate

A

church dignitary (Eg: The archbishop of Moscow and other high-ranking prelates visited the Russian Orthodox seminary. )

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175
Q

prelude

A

introduction; forerunner (Eg: I am afraid that this border raid is the prelude to more serious attacks. )

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176
Q

premeditate

A

plan in advance (Eg: )

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177
Q

premise

A

assumption; postulate (Eg: Because Jack had based his argument upon a faulty premise, his opponent cheerfully pointed out the holes )

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178
Q

premonition

A

forewarning (Eg: We ignored these premonitions of disaster because they appeared to be based on childish fears. )

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179
Q

premonitory

A

serving to warn (Eg: You should have visited a doctor as soon as you felt these premonitory chest pains. )

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180
Q

preponderance

A

superiority of power, quantity, etc. (Eg: The rebels sought to overcome the preponderance of strength of the government forces by engaging in )

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181
Q

preposterous

A

absurd; ridiculous (Eg: When the candidate tried to downplay his youthful experiments with marijuana by saying he hadn’t inhaled, )

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182
Q

prerogative

A

privilege; unquestionable right (Eg: The President cannot levy taxes; that is the prerogative of the legislative branch of government. )

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183
Q

presage

A

foretell (Eg: The vultures flying overhead presaged the discovery of the corpse in the desert. )

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184
Q

prescience

A

ability to foretell the future (Eg: Given the current wave of Japan-bashing, it does not take prescience for me to foresee problems in our )

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185
Q

presentiment

A

premonition; foreboding (Eg: Hamlet felt a presentiment about his meeting with Laertes. )

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186
Q

prestige

A

impression produced by achievements or reputation (Eg: The wealthy man sought to obtain social prestige by contributing to popular charities. )

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187
Q

presumptous

A

arrogant; taking liberties (Eg: It seems presumptous for one so relatively new to the field to challenge the conclusions of its leading )

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188
Q

pretentious

A

ostentatious; ambitious (Eg: I do not feel that your limited resources will permit you to carry out such a pretentious program. )

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189
Q

preternatural

A

beyond that which is normal in nature (Eg: John’s mother’s total ability to tell when he was lying struck him as almost preternatural. )

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190
Q

pretext

A

excuse (Eg: He looked for a good pretext to get out of paying a visit to his aunt. )

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191
Q

prevail

A

induce; triumph over (Eg: He tried to prevail on her to type his essays for him. )

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192
Q

prevalent

A

widespread; generally accepted (Eg: A radical committed to social change, Reed had no patience with the conservative views prevalent in the )

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193
Q

prevaricate

A

lie (Eg: Some people believe that to prevaricate in a good cause is justifiable and regard the statement as a “white )

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194
Q

prey

A

target of a hunt; victim (Eg: In Stalking the Wild Asparagus, Euell Gibbons has as his prey not wild beasts but wild plants. )

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195
Q

prim

A

very precise and formal; exceedingly proper (Eg: Many people commented on the contrast between the prim attire of the young lady and the inappropriate )

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196
Q

primogeniture

A

seniority by birth (Eg: By virtue of primogeniture, in some cultures the first-born child has many privileges denied his brothers )

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197
Q

primordial

A

existing at the beginning (of time); rudimentary (Eg: The Neanderthal Man is one of our primordial ancestors. )

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198
Q

primp

A

dress or groom oneself with care (Eg: She primps for hours before a dance. )

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199
Q

pristine

A

characteristic of earlier times; primitive, unspoiled (Eg: This area has been preserved in all its pristine wildness. )

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200
Q

privation

A

hardship; want (Eg: In his youth, he knew hunger and privation. )

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201
Q

privy

A

secret; hidden; not public (Eg: We do not care for privy chamber of government. )

202
Q

probe

A

explore with tools (Eg: The surgeon probed the wound for foreign matter before suturing it. )

203
Q

probity

A

uprightness; incorruptibility (Eg: Everyone took his probity for granted; his defalcations, therefore, shocked us all. )

204
Q

problematic

A

perplexing; unsettled: questionable (Eg: Given the many areas of conflict still awaiting resolution, the outcome of the peace talks remains )

205
Q

proclivity

A

inclination; natural tendency (Eg: )

206
Q

procrastinate

A

postpone; delay (Eg: It is wise not to procrastinate; otherwise, we find ourselves bogged down in a mass of work that should )

207
Q

procurement

A

obtaining (Eg: The personnel department handles the procurement of new employees. )

208
Q

prod

A

poke; stir up; urge (Eg: If you prod him hard enough, he’ll eventually clean his room. )

209
Q

prodigal

A

wasteful; reckless with money (Eg: The prodigal son squandered his inheritance. )

210
Q

prodigious

A

enormous; marvelous (Eg: He marveled at her prodigious appetite when he saw all the food she ate. )

211
Q

prodigy

A

highly gifted child; marvel (Eg: Menuhin was a prodigy, performing wonders on his violin when he was barely eight years old. )

212
Q

profane

A

violate; desecrate (Eg: Tourists are urged not to profane the sanctity of holy places by wearing improper garb. )

213
Q

profilgate

A

dissipated; wasteful; licentious (Eg: In this profilgate company, she lost all sense of decency. )

214
Q

profound

A

deep; not superficial; complete (Eg: Freud’s remarkable insights into human behavior caused his fellow scientists to honor him as a profound )

215
Q

profusion

A

lavish expenditure; overabundant condition (Eg: Seldom have I seen food and drink served in such profusion as at the wedding feast. )

216
Q

progenitor

A

ancestor (Eg: The Roth family, whose progenitors emigrated from Germany early in the nineteenth century, settled in )

217
Q

progeny

A

children; offspring (Eg: He was proud of his progeny but regarded George as the most promising of all his children. )

218
Q

prognosis

A

forecasted course of a disease; prediction (Eg: If the doctor’s prognosis is correct, the patient will be in a coma for at least twenty-four hours. )

219
Q

prognosticate

A

predict (Eg: I prognosticate disaster unless we change our wasteful ways. )

220
Q

projectile

A

missile (Eg: Man has always hurled projectiles at his enemy whether in the form of stones or of highly explosive shells. )

221
Q

proletarian

A

member of the working class (Eg: The aristocrats feared mob rule and gave the right to vote only to the wealthy, thus depending the )

222
Q

proliferate

A

grow rapidly; spread; multiply (Eg: Times of economic hardship inevitably encourage countless get-rich-quick schemes to proliferate )

223
Q

prolific

A

abundantly fruitful (Eg: She was a prolific writer who produced as many as three books a year. )

224
Q

prolix

A

verbose; drawn out (Eg: Her prolix arguments irritated and bored the jury. )

225
Q

prolong

A

extend; draw out; lengthen (Eg: In their determination to discover ways to prolong human life, doctors fail to take into account that longer )

226
Q

prominent

A

conspicuous; notable; protruding (Eg: Have you ever noticed that Prince Charles’s prominent ears make him resemble the big-eared character in )

227
Q

promiscuous

A

mixed indiscriminately; haphazard; irregular, particularly sexually (Eg: In the opera La Boheme, we get a picture of the promiscuous life led by the young artists of Paris. )

228
Q

promontory

A

headland (Eg: They erected a lighthouse on the promontory to warn approaching ships of their nearness to the shore. )

229
Q

prompt

A

cause; provoke; provide a cue for an actor (Eg: Whatever prompted you to ask for such a big piece of cake when you’re on a diet? )

230
Q

promulgate

A

make known by official proclamation or publication (Eg: As soon as the Civil Service Commission promulgates the names of the successful candidates, we shall )

231
Q

prone

A

inclined to; prostrate (Eg: She was prone to sudden fits of anger. )

232
Q

propagate

A

multiply; spread (Eg: Since bacteria propagate more quickly in unsanitary environments, it is important to keep hospital rooms )

233
Q

propellant

A

substance that propels or drives forward (Eg: The development of our missile program has forced our scientists to seek more powerful propellants. )

234
Q

propensity

A

natural inclination (Eg: Convinced of his own talent, Sol has an unfortunate propensity to belittle the talents of others. )

235
Q

prophetic

A

having to do with predicting the future (Eg: )

236
Q

prophylactic

A

used to prevent disease (Eg: Despite all prophylactic measures introduced by the authorities, the epidemic raged until cool weather set )

237
Q

propinquity

A

nearness; kinship (Eg: Their relationship could not be explained as being based on mere propinquity: they were more than )

238
Q

propitiate

A

appease (Eg: The natives offered sacrifices to propitiate the gods. )

239
Q

propitious

A

favorable; kindly (Eg: I think it is advisable that we wait for a more propitious occasion to announce our plans; this is not a good )

240
Q

proponent

A

person who supports or proposes (an idea) (Eg: After the bill had been amended and re-amended in committee, even its original proponents didn’t want to )

241
Q

propound

A

put forth for analysis (Eg: In you discussion, you have propounded several questions; let us consider each one separately. )

242
Q

propriety

A

fitness; correct conduct (Eg: I want you to behave at this dinner with propriety; don’t embarass me. )

243
Q

propulsive

A

driving forward (Eg: The jet plane has a greater propulsive power than the engine-driven plane. )

244
Q

prosaic

A

dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact; factual (Eg: Though the ad writers had come up with a highly creative campaign to publicize the company’s newest )

245
Q

proscenium

A

part of stage in front of curtain (Eg: In the theater-in-the-round there can be no proscenium or proscenium arch. )

246
Q

proscribe

A

ostracize; banish; outlaw (Eg: Antony, Octavius and Lepidus proscribed all those who had conspired against Julius Caesar. )

247
Q

proselytize

A

induce someone to convert to religion or belief (Eg: In these interfaith meetings, there must be no attempt to proselytize; we must respect all points of view. )

248
Q

prosody

A

the art of versification (Eg: This book on prosody contains a rhyming dictionary as well as samples of the various verse forms. )

249
Q

prosperity

A

good fortune; financial success; physical well-being (Eg: Promising to stay together “for richer, for poorer,” the newlyweds vowed to be true to one another in )

250
Q

prostrate

A

stretch out full on ground (Eg: He prostrated himself before the idol. )

251
Q

protean

A

versatile; able to take on many forms (Eg: A remarkably protean actor, Alec Guinness could take on any role. )

252
Q

protocol

A

diplomatic etiquette (Eg: We must run this state dinner according to protocol if we are to avoid offending any of our guests. )

253
Q

prototype

A

original work used as a model by others (Eg: The crude typewriter on display in this museum is the prototype of the elaborate machines in use today. )

254
Q

protract

A

prolong (Eg: Seeking to delay the union members’ vote, the management team tried to protract the negotiations )

255
Q

protrude

A

stick out (Eg: His fingers protruded from the holes in his gloves. )

256
Q

protuberance

A

protrusion; bulge (Eg: A ganglionic cyst is a fluid-filled tumor (generally benign) that develops near a joint membrane or tendon )

257
Q

provenance

A

origin or source of something (Eg: I am not interested in its provenance; I am more concerned with its usefulness than with its source. )

258
Q

provender

A

dry food; fodder (Eg: I am afraid of a severe winter because I have stored a large quantity of provender for the cattle. )

259
Q

provident

A

displaying foresight; thrifty; preparing for emergencies (Eg: In his usual provident manner, he had insured himself against this type of loss. )

260
Q

provincial

A

pertaining to a province; limited in outlook; unsophisticated (Eg: As provincial governor, Sir Henry administered the Queen’s law in his remote corner of Canada. )

261
Q

provisional

A

tentative (Eg: The appointment is provisional; only on the approval of the board of directors will it be made permanent. )

262
Q

proviso

A

stipulation (Eg: I am ready to accept your proposal with the two proviso that you meet your obligations within the next )

263
Q

provoke

A

stir up anger; cause retaliation (Eg: In order to prevent a sudden outbreak of hostilities, we must not provoke our foe. )

264
Q

proximity

A

nearness (Eg: The deer sensed the hunter’s proximity and bounded away. )

265
Q

proxy

A

authorized agent (Eg: Please act as my proxy and vote for this slate of candidates in my absence. )

266
Q

prude

A

excessively modest or proper person (Eg: The X-rated film was definitely not for prudes. )

267
Q

prudent

A

cautious; careful (Eg: A miser hoards money not because he is prudent but because he is greedy. )

268
Q

prune

A

cut away; trim (Eg: With the help of her editor, she was able to prune her manuscript into publishable form. )

269
Q

pseudonym

A

pen name (Eg: Samuel Clemens’ pseudonym was Mark Twain. )

270
Q

psychiatrist

A

a doctor who treats mental diseases (Eg: A psychiatrist often needs long conferences with his patient before a diagnosis can be made. )

271
Q

psychopathic

A

pertaining to mental derangement (Eg: The psychopathic patient suffers more frequently from a disorder of the nervous system than from a )

272
Q

psychosis

A

mental disorder (Eg: We must endeavor to find an outlet for the patient’s repressed desires if we hope to combat this psychosis. )

273
Q

pterodactyl

A

extinct flying reptile (Eg: The remains of pterodactyls indicate that these flying reptiles had a wingspan of as much as twenty feet. )

274
Q

puerile

A

childish (Eg: His puerile pranks sometimes offended his more mature friends. )

275
Q

pugilist

A

boxer (Eg: The famous pugilist Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammed Ali. )

276
Q

pugnacious

A

combative; disposed to fight (Eg: As a child he was pugnacious and fought with everyone. )

277
Q

puissant

A

powerful; strong; potent (Eg: We must keep his friendship for he will make a puissant ally. )

278
Q

pulchritude

A

beauty; comeliness (Eg: I do not envy the judges who have to select this year’s Miss America from this collection of female )

279
Q

pulmonary

A

pertaining to the lungs (Eg: In his researches on pulmonary diseases, he discovered many facts about the lungs of animals and human )

280
Q

pulsate

A

throb (Eg: We could see the blood vessels in his temple pulsate as he became more angry. )

281
Q

pulverize

A

crush or grind into very small particles (Eg: Before sprinkling the dried herbs into the stew, Michael first pulverized them into a fine powder. )

282
Q

pummel

A

beat (Eg: The severity with which he was pummeled was indicated by the bruises he displayed on his head and face. )

283
Q

punctilious

A

laying stress on niceties of conduct or form; precise (Eg: We must be punctilious in our planning of this affair, for any error may be regarded as a personal affront. )

284
Q

pundit

A

learned Hindu; any learned person; authority on a subject (Eg: Even though he discourses on the matter like a pundit, he is actually rather ignorant about this topic. )

285
Q

pungency

A

sharpness; stinging quality (Eg: The pungency of the cigarette smoke made me cough. )

286
Q

punitive

A

punishing (Eg: He asked for punitive measures against the offender. )

287
Q

puny

A

insignificant; tiny; weak (Eg: Our puny efforts to stop the flood were futile. )

288
Q

purchase

A

firm grasp or footing (Eg: The mountaineer struggled to get a proper purchase on the slippery rock. )

289
Q

purgatory

A

place of spiritual expiation (Eg: In this purgatory, he could expect no help from his comrades. )

290
Q

purge

A

clean by removing impurities; clear of changes (Eg: If you are to be purged of the charge of contempt of Congress, you must be willing to answer the )

291
Q

purport

A

intention; meaning (Eg: If the purport of your speech was to arouse the rabble, you succeeded admirably. )

292
Q

purveyor

A

furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer (Eg: As purveyor of rare wines and viands, he traveled through France and Italy every year in search of new )

293
Q

pusillanimous

A

cowardly; fainthearted (Eg: You should be ashamed of your pusillanimous conduct during this dispute. )

294
Q

putative

A

supposed; reputed (Eg: Although there are some doubts, the putative author of this work is Massinger. )

295
Q

putrid

A

foul; rotten; decayed (Eg: The gangrenous condition of the wound was indicated by the putrid smell when the bandages were )

296
Q

pyromaniac

A

person with an insane desire to set things on fire (Eg: The detectives searched the area for the pyromaniac who had set these costly fires. )

297
Q

pyre

A

heap of combustible material, esp. for burning a corpse. (Eg: The mortician put pyre on the corpse before burning a corpse. )

298
Q

pest

A

troublesome or annoying person (Eg: He was a pest; always bothering people. )

299
Q

prohibitive

A

extremely high (of prices etc.) (Eg: The super computer’s price was prohibitive. )

300
Q

quack

A

charlatan; impostor (Eg: Do not be misled by the exorbitant claims of this quack; he cannot cure you. )

301
Q

quadruped

A

four-footed animal (Eg: Most mammals are quadrupeds. )

302
Q

quaff

A

drink with relish (Eg: As we quaffed our ale, we listened to the gay songs of the students in the tavern. )

303
Q

quagmire

A

soft, wet, boggy land; complex or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to free oneself (Eg: Up to her knees in mud, Myra wondered how on earth she was going to extricate herself from this )

304
Q

quail

A

cower; lose heart (Eg: He was afraid that he would quail in the face of danger. )

305
Q

quaint

A

odd; old-fashioned; picturesque (Eg: Her quaint clothes and old-fashioned language marked her as an eccentric. )

306
Q

qualified

A

limited; restricted (Eg: Unable to give the candidate full support, the mayor gave him only a qualified endorsement. )

307
Q

qualms

A

misgivings (Eg: His qualms of conscience had become so great that he decided to abandon his plans. )

308
Q

quandary

A

dilemma (Eg: When the two colleges to which he had applied accepted him, he was in a quandary as to which one he )

309
Q

quarantine

A

isolation of a person, place, or ship to prevent spread of infection (Eg: )

310
Q

quarry

A

victim; object of a hunt (Eg: The police closed in on their quarry. )

311
Q

quarry

A

dig into (Eg: They quarried blocks of marble out of the hillside. )

312
Q

quash

A

subdue; crush; squash (Eg: The authorities acted quickly to quash the student rebellion, sending in tanks to cow the demonstrators. )

313
Q

quay

A

dock; landing place (Eg: Because of the captain’s carelessness, the ship crashed into the quay. )

314
Q

queasy

A

easily nauseated; squeamish (Eg: As the ship left the harbor, he became queasy and thought that he was going to suffer from seasickness. )

315
Q

quell

A

put down; quiet (Eg: The police used fire hoses and teat gas to quell the rioters. )

316
Q

querulous

A

fretful; whining (Eg: His classmates were repelled by his querulous and complaining statements. )

317
Q

queue

A

line (Eg: They stood patiently in the queue outside the movie theatre. )

318
Q

quibble

A

equivocate; play on words (Eg: Do not quibble; I want a straightforward and definite answer. )

319
Q

quiescent

A

at rest; dormant (Eg: After this geyser erupts, it will remain quiescent for twenty-four hours. )

320
Q

quietude

A

tranquillity (Eg: He was impressed by the air of quietude and peace that pervaded the valley. )

321
Q

quintessence

A

purest and highest embodiment (Eg: Noel Coward displayed the quintessence of wit. )

322
Q

quip

A

taunt (Eg: You are unpopular because you are too free with your quips and sarcastic comments. )

323
Q

quirk

A

startling twise; caprice (Eg: By a quirk of fate, he found himself working for the man whom he had discharged years before. )

324
Q

quisling

A

traitor who aids invaders (Eg: In his conquest of Europe, Hitler was aided by the quislings who betrayed their own people and served in )

325
Q

quiver

A

case for arrows (Eg: )

326
Q

quixotic

A

idealistic but impractical (Eg: His head is in the clouds; he is constantly presenting these quixotic schemes. )

327
Q

quizzical

A

bantering; comical; humorously serious (Eg: Will Rogers’ quizzical remarks endeared him to his audiences. )

328
Q

quorum

A

number of members necessary to conduct a meeting (Eg: The senator asked for a roll call to determine whether a quorum was present. )

329
Q

quotidian

A

daily; commonplace; customary (Eg: To Philip, each new day of his internship was filled with excitement; he could not dismiss his rounds as )

330
Q

rabid

A

like a fanatic; furious (Eg: He was a rabid follower of the Dodgers and watched them play whenever he could go to the ball park. )

331
Q

raconteur

A

story-teller (Eg: My father was a gifted raconteur with an unlimited supply of anecdotes. )

332
Q

ragamuffin

A

person wearing tattered clothes (Eg: He felt sorry for the ragamuffin who was begging for food and gave him money to buy a meal. )

333
Q

rail

A

scold; rant (Eg: You may rail at him all you want; you will never change him. )

334
Q

raiment

A

clothing (Eg: “How can I go to the ball?” asked Cinderella. “I have no raiment fit to wear.” )

335
Q

rakish

A

stylish; sporty (Eg: He wore his hat at a rakish and jaunty angle. )

336
Q

ramble

A

wander aimlessly (physically or mentally) (Eg: Listening to the teacher ramble, Judy wondered whether he’d ever get to his point. )

337
Q

ramification

A

branching out; subdivision (Eg: We must examine all the ramifications of this problem. )

338
Q

ramify

A

divide into branches or subdivisions (Eg: When the plant begins to ramify, it is advisable to nip off most of the new branches. )

339
Q

ramp

A

slope; inclined plane (Eg: The house was built with ramps instead of stairs in order to enable the man in the wheelchair to move )

340
Q

rampant

A

rearing up on hind legs; unrestrained (Eg: The rampant weeds in the garden killed all the flowers that had been planted in the spring. )

341
Q

rampart

A

defensive mound on earth (Eg: “From the ramparts we watched” as the fighting continued. )

342
Q

ramshackle

A

rickety; falling apart (Eg: The boys propped up the ramshackle clubhouse with a couple of boards. )

343
Q

rancid

A

having the odor of stale fat (Eg: A rancid odor filled the ship’s galley and nauseated the crew. )

344
Q

rancor

A

bitterness; hatred (Eg: Let us forget out rancor and cooperate in this new endeavor. )

345
Q

random

A

without definite purpose, plan, or aim; haphazard (Eg: Although the sponsor of the raffle claimed all winners were chosen at random, people had their suspicions )

346
Q

rankle

A

irritate; fester (Eg: The memory of having been jilted rankled him for years. )

347
Q

rant

A

rave; speak bombastically (Eg: As we heard him rant on the platform, we could not understand his strange popularity with many people. )

348
Q

rapacious

A

excessively grasping; plundering (Eg: Hawks and other rapacious birds prey on variety of small animals. )

349
Q

rapport

A

emotional closeness; harmony (Eg: In team teaching, it is important that all teachers in the group have good rapport with one another. )

350
Q

rarefied

A

made less dense [of a gas] (Eg: The mountain climbers had difficulty breathing in the rarefied atmosphere. )

351
Q

raspy

A

grating; harsh (Eg: The sergeant’s raspy voice grated on the recruits’ ears. )

352
Q

ratify

A

approve formally; verify (Eg: Before the treaty could go into effect, it had to be ratified by the president. )

353
Q

ratiocination

A

reasoning; act of drawing conclusions from premises (Eg: While Watson was a man of average intelligence, Holmes was a genius, whose gift for ratiocination made )

354
Q

rationalization

A

bringing into conformity with reason (Eg: All attempts at rationalization at this time are doomed to failure; tempers and emotions run too high for )

355
Q

rationalize

A

reason; justify an improper act (Eg: Do not try to rationalize your behavior by blaming your companions. )

356
Q

raucous

A

harsh and shrill (Eg: His raucous laughter irritated me and grated on my ears. )

357
Q

ravage

A

plunder; despoil (Eg: The marauding army ravaged the countryside. )

358
Q

rave

A

overwhelmingly favorable review (Eg: Though critic John Simon seldom has a good word to say about contemporary plays, his review of All in )

359
Q

ravel

A

fall apart into tangles; unravel or untwist; entangle (Eg: A sigle thread pulled loose, and the entire scarf started to ravel. )

360
Q

ravenous

A

extremely hungry (Eg: The revenous dog upset several garbage pails in its search for food. )

361
Q

ravine

A

narrow valley with steep sides (Eg: Steeper than a gully, less precipitous than a canyon, a ravine is, like them, the product of years of erosion. )

362
Q

raze

A

destroy completely (Eg: The owners intend to raze the hotel and erect an office building on the site. )

363
Q

reactionary

A

recoiling from progress; retrograde (Eg: His program was reactionary since it sought to abolish many of the social reforms instituted by the )

364
Q

realm

A

kingdom; sphere (Eg: The realm of possibilities for the new invention was endless. )

365
Q

reaper

A

one who harvests grain (Eg: Death, the Grim Reaper, cuts down men and women, just as a farmer cuts down the ripened grain. )

366
Q

rebate

A

discount (Eg: We offer a rebate of ten percent to those who pay cash. )

367
Q

rebuff

A

snub; beat back (Eg: She rebuffed his invitation so smoothly that he did not realize he had been snubbed. )

368
Q

rebus

A

puzzle in which pictures stand for words (Eg: A coven of witches beside a tree is a possible rebus for the town Coventry. )

369
Q

rebuttal

A

refutation; response with contrary evidence (Eg: The defense lawyer confidently listened to the prosecutor sum up his case, sure that she could answer his )

370
Q

recalcitrant

A

obstinately stubborn (Eg: Donkeys are reputed to be the most recalcitrant of animals. )

371
Q

recant

A

repudiate; withdraw previous statement (Eg: Unless you recant your confession, you will be punished severely. )

372
Q

recapitulate

A

summarize (Eg: Let us recapitulate what has been said thus far before going ahead. )

373
Q

receptive

A

quick or willing to receive ideas, suggestions, etc. (Eg: Adventure-loving Huck Finn proved a receptive audience for Tom’s tales of buried treasure and piracy. )

374
Q

recession

A

withdrawal; retreat; time of low economic activity (Eg: The slow recession of the flood waters created problems for the crews working to restore power to the )

375
Q

recidivism

A

habitual return to crime (Eg: Prison reformers in the United States are disturbed by the high rate of recidivism; the number of persons )

376
Q

recipient

A

receiver (Eg: Although he had been the recipient of many favors, he was not grateful to his benefactor. )

377
Q

reciprocal

A

mutual; exchangeable; interacting (Eg: The two nations signed a reciprocal trade agreement. )

378
Q

reciprocate

A

repay in kind (Eg: If they attack us, we shall be compelled to reciprocate and bomb their territory. )

379
Q

recluse

A

hermit (Eg: The recluse lived in a hut in the forest. )

380
Q

reconcile

A

correct inconsistencies; become friendly after a quarrel (Eg: Every time we try to reconcile our checkbook with the bank statement, we quarrel. However, despite these )

381
Q

recondite

A

abstruse; profound; secret (Eg: He read many recondite books in order to obtain the material for the scholarly thesis. )

382
Q

reconnaissance

A

survey of enemy by soldiers; reconnoitering (Eg: If you encounter any enemy soldiers during your reconnaissance, capture them for questioning. )

383
Q

recount

A

narrate or tell; count over again (Eg: About to recount the latest adventure of Sherlock Holmes, Watson lost track of exactly how many cases )

384
Q

recourse

A

resorting to help when in trouble (Eg: The boy’s only recourse was to appeal to his father for aid. )

385
Q

recrimination

A

countercharges (Eg: Loud and angry recriminations were her answer to his accusations. )

386
Q

rectify

A

correct (Eg: I want to rectify my error before it is too late. )

387
Q

rectitude

A

uprightness (Eg: He was renowned for his rectitude and integrity. )

388
Q

recumbent

A

reclining; lying down completely or in part (Eg: The command “AT EASE” does not permit you to take a recumbent position. )

389
Q

recuperate

A

recover (Eg: The doctors were worried because the patient did not recuperate as rapidly as they had expected. )

390
Q

recurrent

A

occurring again and again (Eg: These recurrent attacks disturbed us and we consulted a physician. )

391
Q

redolent

A

fragrant; odorous; suggestive of an odor (Eg: Even though it is February, the air is redolent of spring. )

392
Q

redoubtable

A

formidable; causing fear (Eg: During the Cold War period, neighboring countries tried not to offend the Russians because they could be )

393
Q

redress

A

remedy; compensation (Eg: Do you mean to tell me that I can get no redress for my injuries? )

394
Q

redundant

A

superfluous; excessively wordy; repetitious (Eg: Your composition is redundant; you can easily reduce its length. )

395
Q

reek

A

emit (odor) (Eg: The room reeked with stale tobacco smoke. )

396
Q

refectory

A

dining hall (Eg: In this huge refectory, we can feed the entire student body at one sitting. )

397
Q

refraction

A

bending of a ray of light (Eg: When you look at a stick inserted in water, it looks bent because of the refraction of the light by the water. )

398
Q

refractory

A

stubborn; unmanageable (Eg: The refractory horse was eliminated from the race when he refused to obey the jockey. )

399
Q

refrain

A

v. abstain from; resist n. chorus (Eg: Whenever he heard a song with a lively chorus, Sol could never refrain from joining in on the refrain. )

400
Q

refurbish

A

renovate; make bright by polishing (Eg: The flood left a deposit of mud on everything; it was necessary to refurbish our belongings. )

401
Q

refute

A

disprove (Eg: The defense called several respectable witnesses who were able to refute the false testimony of the )

402
Q

regal

A

royal (Eg: Prince Albert had a regal manner. )

403
Q

regale

A

entertain (Eg: John regaled us with tales of his adventures in Africa. )

404
Q

regatta

A

boat or yacht race (Eg: Many boating enthusiasts followed the regatta in their own yachts. )

405
Q

regeneration

A

spiritual rebirth (Eg: Modern penologists strive for the regeneration of the prisoners. )

406
Q

regicide

A

murder of a king or queen (Eg: The beheading of Mary Queen of Scots was an act of regicide. )

407
Q

regime

A

method or system of government (Eg: When a Frenchman mentions the Old Regime, he refers to the government existing before the revolution. )

408
Q

regimen

A

prescribed diet and habits (Eg: I doubt whether the results warrant our living under such a strict regimen. )

409
Q

rehabilitate

A

restore to proper condition (Eg: We must rehabilitate those whom we send to prison. )

410
Q

reimburse

A

repay (Eg: Let me know what you have spent and I will reimburse you. )

411
Q

reiterate

A

repeat (Eg: He reiterated the warning to make sure everyone understood it. )

412
Q

rejoinder

A

retort; comeback; reply (Eg: When someone has been rude to me, I find it particularly satisfying to come up with a quick rejoinder. )

413
Q

rejuvenate

A

make young again (Eg: The charlatan claimed that his elixir would rejuvenate the aged and weary. )

414
Q

relegate

A

banish; consign to inferior position (Eg: If we relegate these experts to minor posts because of their political persuasions, we shall lose their )

415
Q

relent

A

give in (Eg: When her stern father would not relent and allow her to marry Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett eloped )

416
Q

relevant

A

pertinent; referring to the case in hand (Eg: )

417
Q

relic

A

surviving remnant; memento (Eg: Egypt’s Department of Antiquities prohibits tourists from taking mummies and other ancient relics out of )

418
Q

relinquish

A

abandon (Eg: I will relinquish my claims to this property if you promise to retain my employees. )

419
Q

relish

A

savor; enjoy (Eg: I relish a good joke as much as anyone else. )

420
Q

remediable

A

reparable (Eg: Let us be grateful that the damage is remediable. )

421
Q

reminiscence

A

recollection (Eg: Her reminiscences of her experiences are so fascinating that she ought to write a book. )

422
Q

remiss

A

negligent (Eg: He was accused of being remiss in his duty when the prisoner escaped. )

423
Q

remission

A

temporary moderation of disease symptoms; cancellation of a debt; forgiveness or pardon (Eg: Though Senator Tsongas had been treated for cancer, his symptoms were in remission, and he was )

424
Q

remnant

A

remainder (Eg: I suggest that you wait until the store places the remnants of these goods on sale. )

425
Q

remonstrance

A

protest; objection (Eg: The authorities were deaf to the pastor’s remonstrances about the lack of police protection in the area. )

426
Q

remorse

A

guilt; self-reproach (Eg: The murderer felt no remorse for his crime. )

427
Q

remunerative

A

compensating; rewarding (Eg: I find my new work so renumerative that I may not return to my previous employment. )

428
Q

rend

A

split; tear apart (Eg: In his grief, he tried to rend his garments. )

429
Q

render

A

deliver; provide; represent (Eg: He rendered aid to the needy and indigent. )

430
Q

rendezvous

A

meeting place (Eg: The two fleets met at the rendezvous at the appointed time. )

431
Q

rendition

A

translation; artistic interpretation of a song, etc. (Eg: The audience cheered enthusiastically as she completed her rendition of the aria. )

432
Q

renegade

A

deserter; traitor (Eg: Because he had abandoned his post and joined forces with the Indians, his fellow officers considered the )

433
Q

renege

A

deny; go back on (Eg: He reneged on paying off his debt. )

434
Q

renounce

A

abandon; disown; repudiate (Eg: Even though she knew she would be burned at the stake as a witch, Joan of Arc refused to renounce her )

435
Q

renovate

A

restore to good condition; renew (Eg: They claim that they can renovate worn shoes so that they look like new ones. )

436
Q

renown

A

fame (Eg: For many years an unheralded researcher, Barbara McClintock gained international renown when she won )

437
Q

rent

A

tear or rip; split (Eg: The conflict over abortion threatens to split our nation, creating a rent in the social fabric that will be )

438
Q

reparable

A

capable of being repaired (Eg: Fortunately, the damages we suffered in the accident were reparable and our car looks brand new. )

439
Q

reparation

A

amends; compensation (Eg: At the peace conference, the defeated country promised to pay reparations to the victors. )

440
Q

repartee

A

clever reply (Eg: He was famous for his witty repartee and his sarcasm. )

441
Q

repeal

A

revoke; annul (Eg: What would the effect on our society be if we decriminalized drug use by repealing the laws against the )

442
Q

repellent

A

driving away; unattractive (Eg: Mosquitoes find the odor so repellent that they leave any spot where this liquid has been sprayed. )

443
Q

repercussion

A

rebound; reverberation; reaction (Eg: I am afraid that this event will have serious repercussions. )

444
Q

repertoire

A

list of works of music, drama, etc., a performer is prepared to present (Eg: The opera company decided to include Madame Butterfly in its repertoire for the following season. )

445
Q

repine

A

fret; complain (Eg: There is no sense repining over the work you have left undone. )

446
Q

replenish

A

fill up again (Eg: )

447
Q

replete

A

filled to capacity; abundantly supplied (Eg: The book is replete with humorous situations. )

448
Q

replica

A

copy (Eg: Are you going to hang this replica of the Declaration of Independence in the classroom or in the )

449
Q

replicate

A

reproduce; duplicate (Eg: To the chagrin of the scientists, they were unable to replicate the results of their controversial experiment. )

450
Q

repository

A

storehouse (Eg: Libraries are repositories of the world’s best thoughts. )

451
Q

reprehensible

A

deserving blame (Eg: Your vicious conduct in this situation is reprehensible. )

452
Q

repress

A

restrain; crush; oppress (Eg: Anne’s parents tried to curb her impetuosity without repressing her boundless high spirits. )

453
Q

reprieve

A

temporary stay (Eg: During the twenty-four-hour reprieve, the lawyers sought to make the stay of execution permanent. )

454
Q

reprimand

A

reprove severely (Eg: I am afraid that my parents will reprimand me when I show them my report card. )

455
Q

reprisal

A

retaliation (Eg: I am confident that we are ready for any reprisals the enemy may undertake. )

456
Q

reprise

A

recurrent action; musical repetition; repeat performance (Eg: At Waterloo, it was not the effect of any one skirmish that exhausted Colonel Audly; rather it was the )

457
Q

reproach

A

blame; censure (Eg: I want my work to be above reproach and without error )

458
Q

reprobate

A

person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency (Eg: I cannot understand why he has so many admirers if he is the reprobate you say he is. )

459
Q

reprobation

A

severe disapproval (Eg: The students showed their reprobation of his act by refusing to talk with him. )

460
Q

reprove

A

censure; rebuke (Eg: The principal reproved the students when they became unruly in the auditorium. )

461
Q

repudiate

A

disown; disavow (Eg: He announced that he would repudiate all debts incurred by his wife. )

462
Q

repugnance

A

loathing (Eg: She looked at the snake with repugnance. )

463
Q

repulsion

A

act of driving back; distaste (Eg: The repulsion of the enemy forces was not accomplished bloodlessly; many of the defenders were )

464
Q

reputable

A

respectable (Eg: If you want to buy antiques, look for a reputable dealer; far too many dealers today pass off fakes as )

465
Q

reputed

A

supposed (Eg: He is the reputed father of the child. )

466
Q

requiem

A

mass for the dead; dirge (Eg: They played Mozart’s Requiem at the funeral. )

467
Q

requisite

A

necessary requirement (Eg: Many colleges state that a student must offer three years of a language as a requisite for admission. )

468
Q

requite

A

repay; revenge (Eg: The wretch requited his benefactors by betraying them. )

469
Q

rescind

A

cancel (Eg: Because of public resentment, the king had to rescind his order. )

470
Q

reserve

A

self-control; formal but distant manner (Eg: Although some girls were attracted by Mark’s reserve, Judy was put off by it, for she felt his aloofness )

471
Q

residue

A

remainder; balance (Eg: In his will, he requested that after payment of debts, taxes, and funeral expenses, the residue be given to his )

472
Q

resignation

A

patient submissiveness; statement that one is quitting a job (Eg: If Bob Cratchit had not accepted Scrooge’s bullying with timid resignation, he might have gotten up the )

473
Q

resilient

A

elastic; having the power of springing back (Eg: Highly resilient, steel makes excellent bedsprings. )

474
Q

resolution

A

determination (Eg: Nothing could shake his resolution to succeed despite all difficulties. )

475
Q

resolve

A

determination (Eg: Nothing could shake his resolve that his children would get the best education that money could buy. )

476
Q

resolve

A

decide; settle; solve (Eg: Homes resolved to travel to Bohemia to resolve the dispute between Irene Adler and the King. )

477
Q

resonant

A

echoing; resounding; deep and full in sound (Eg: The deep, resonant voice of the actor James Earl Jones makes him particulary effective when he appears )

478
Q

respiration

A

breathing; exhalation (Eg: The doctor found that the patient’s years of smoking had adversely affected both his lung capacity and his )

479
Q

respite

A

delay in punishment; interval of relief; rest (Eg: The judge granted the condemned man a respite to enable his attorneys to file an appeal. )

480
Q

resplendent

A

brilliant; lustrous (Eg: The toreador wore a resplendent costume called a suit of lights. )

481
Q

responsiveness

A

state of reacting readily to appeals, order, etc. (Eg: The audience cheered and applauded, delighting the performers by its responsiveness. )

482
Q

restitution

A

reparation; indemnification (Eg: He offered to make restitution for the window broken by his son. )

483
Q

restive

A

restlessly impatient; obstinately resisting control (Eg: Waiting impatiently in the line to see Santa Claus, even the best-behaved children grow restive and start to )

484
Q

restraint

A

controlling force (Eg: She dreamt of living an independent life, free of all restraints. )

485
Q

resumption

A

taking up again; recommencement (Eg: During the summer break, Don had not realized how much he missed university life: at the resumption of )

486
Q

resurgent

A

rising again after defeat, etc. (Eg: The resurgent nation surprised everyone by its quick recovery after total defeat. )

487
Q

resuscitate

A

revive (Eg: The lifeguard tried to resuscitate the drowned child by applying artificial respiration. )

488
Q

retain

A

keep; employ (Eg: Fighting to retain his seat in Congress, Senator Foghorn retained a new manager to head his reelection )

489
Q

retaliate

A

repay in kind (usually for bad treatment) (Eg: Fear that we will retaliate immediately deters our foe from attacking us. )

490
Q

retentive

A

holding; having a good memory (Eg: The pupil did not need to spend much time in study as he had a retentive mind. )

491
Q

reticent

A

reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to silence (Eg: )

492
Q

retinue

A

following; attendants (Eg: The queen’s retinue followed her down the aisle. )

493
Q

retiring

A

modest; shy (Eg: Given Susan’t retiring personality, no one expected her to take up public speaking; surprisingly enough, she )

494
Q

retort

A

quick, sharp reply (Eg: Even when it was advisable for her to keep her mouth shut, she was always ready with a retort. )

495
Q

retraction

A

withdrawal (Eg: He dropped his libel suit after the newspaper published a retraction of its statement. )

496
Q

retrench

A

cut down; economize (Eg: If they were to be able to send their children to college, they would have to retrench. )

497
Q

retribution

A

vengeance; compensation; punishment for offenses (Eg: The evangelist maintained that an angry deity would exact retribution from the sinners. )

498
Q

retrieve

A

recover; find and bring in (Eg: The dog was intelligent and quickly learned to retrieve the game killed by the hunter. )

499
Q

retroactive

A

taking effect before its enactment (as a law) or imposition (as a tax) (Eg: Because the new pension law was retroactive to the first of the year, even though Martha had retired in )

500
Q

retrograde

A

go backwards; degenerate (Eg: Instead of advancing, our civilization seems to have retrograded in ethics and culture. )

Barron's GRE (8 decks)

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