GRE Major Tests Chapter 22 Flashcards
Accretion
accumulation of matter, growth produced by adding from the outside
ex) The accretion of traffic accidents and drunk driving was attributed to the opening of the new downtown mall.
Anachronistic
occurring in the wrong time period [anachronism (n)]
ex) These days the habit of introducing yourself to a new neighbor with a welcome gift has become an anachronism.
Chronic
long lasting (often used for diseases in which case the opposite is acute)
ex) My anxiety disorder causes me to be a chronic worrier.
Churlishness
rudeness, ill-mannered behavior
ex) Linda decided never to call that babysitter again because the nanny-cam showed that she acted churlish with the children.
Demagogue
mob leader (who appeals to base instincts) [demagogy/demagoguery (n)]
ex) Todd wrote an excellent paper describing Hitler as a demagogue.
Effrontery
daring, audacity (has a negative connotation)
ex) I was shocked by the mugger’s effrontery to kiss me after grabbing my bag.
Idyll
story or incident in peaceful or ideal setting [idyllic (a)]
ex) She seduces him, and they enjoy a rapturous summer idyll.
Interregnum
interval between reigns or governments
ex) It was nearly two hundred years since the Republic had suffered from an interregnum, and the precedents of 1382 were obsolete.
Nugatory
having no worth or value, useless, of minor significance, futile
ex) Jim’s nugatory comments contributed nothing to the class discussion.
Sinecure
job which pays salary but requiring little effort
ex) Even thought we all thought of the job as a sinecure, Jane took her position very seriously and always worked late into the evening.
Anodized
electroplated, coated with thin layer of metal
ex) Traditionally, either annealed copper wire or brown anodized aluminum wire is used.
Aphoristic
expressed tersely [aphorism (n) = short statement; maxim]
ex) His sermons were richly aphoristic.
Canonical
following or according to the rules, orthodox [canon (n) = set of accepted works]
ex) The canonical composer always made sure that his hymns fit in with the church’s regulations.
Commensurate
equal in significance
ex) You will get a salary increase commensurate with your additional responsibilities and work.
Dexterity
skill, esp. with hands [dexterous (a)]
ex) Since I do not often use my left hand, I am not dexterous when I use it for writing.
Extant
still in existence (opposite of extinct)
ex) Because the jazz singer did not record many of her songs, a number of her best tunes are not extant today.
Impugned
challenged, called into question
ex) Even though I hate my ex-husband’s girlfriend, I never try to impugn her character in front of my children.
Probity
uprightness, honesty
ex) The person who returned the stolen necklace to the police showed a great deal of probity.
Raconteur
person who relates a story, one recognized as being a talented teller of stories
ex) A screenwriter is a raconteur who simply puts his stories on paper.
Solicitous
full of anxiety and concern
ex) I am going to keep a solicitous eye out for criminals in this hard-hit neighborhood.
Amalgamate
join, consolidate [amalgamation (n)]
ex) The two companies will amalgamate in a mutually beneficial merger next week.
Baleful
evil
ex) With a baleful stare, the gang member pointed his gun at the unarmed police officer.
Coerce
force [coercion (n); coercing (a)]
ex) The bully tried to coerce the small kids into giving him their lunch money.
Inchoate
undeveloped, nascent
ex) While I have started writing my autobiography, it is still inchoate because I have several more chapters to add.
Iniquitous
evil, unjust [iniquity (n)]
ex) A plan to steal from the church collection plate is an example of something that would be described as iniquitous.
Libertine
someone who ignores moral values
ex) Because Warren is a drunken libertine, he often comes into work with a hangover.
Millinery
hats and hat-making
ex) Her aunt’s modest millinery shop was great.
Natty
neat, dapper, smart
ex) He was first spotted in the departure lounge and we wondered who the natty dresser was.
Occluded
obscured, blocked
ex) The police officers have blocked off the road to occlude the bomb from the public.
Sidereal
of or related to stars
ex) The scientist’s calculations were based on sidereal time, which was related to the earth’s rotation around fixed planets.
Avaricious
greedy for money
ex) Even though the king had all the riches in his kingdom, this avaricious leader always wanted more.
Extirpate
wipe out totally
ex) Hopefully the pesticides will extirpate the insects from my garden.
Halcyon
peaceful and happy, calm (esp. of summer weather)
ex) I was very content during the halcyon days of my childhood.
List (v)
- to lean to one side; 2. to write in order
ex) I can list a few that might eliminate it and a few more that might delay it.
Maudlin
sad, sentimental, inclined to weep
ex) When John drinks too many glasses of wine, he has a habit of telling maudlin stories that make him appear quite silly.
Refulgent
glowing, radiant
ex) When the beauty queen accepted her crown, she had a refulgent smile on her face.
Subliminal
working beneath the level of awareness, below the threshold of consciousness
ex) Since subliminal suggestions exist beneath our conscious levels of thought, we rarely realize their influence.
Testiness
irritability, irascibility [testy (a)]
ex) What are the causes of your fights and testiness?
Vituperate
attack bitterly
We cannot be friends if you continue to attack me with vituperative words.
Whittle
- carve with knife 2. reduce step by step
ex) Her patience began to whittle when the students would not stop talking.
Colander
bowl with holes used to drain vegetables etc.
ex) Tip the contents of the pan into a colander over a bowl to catch the liquor.
Cumbersome
bulky, difficult to carry [encumber = to burden]
ex) The cumbersome box was too big for the shopping cart.
Diaphanous
transparent, thin and delicate
ex) Most dancers wear several layers of clothing because the stage lights often make their costumes appear diaphanous.
Dispatch
- send (v), 2. speed; celerity (n)
ex) According to the terms of the app, the computer will dispatch a vehicle to collect us within thirty seconds.
Epistemology
theory of knowledge
ex) “What exactly is knowledge?” is a question you will ask when you study epistemology.
Froward
stubborn, wayward, disobedient
ex) The froward child refused to listen to her parents and was disobedient most of the time.
Supine
lying flat on one’s back
ex) During back massages, most clients recline face down instead of supine.
Throwback
a prompting back to something or sometime in the past
ex) As a throwback to better days, the matriarch in the family decided to start having the family eat together on Sundays like they used to do ten years ago.
Untoward
inappropriate
ex) Janice ignored the holiness of her environment and behaved in an untoward manner in church.
Verisimilar
seemingly truthful or likely
ex) Skilled liars craft verisimilar stories that seem so real that people believe them.
