GRE Major Tests Chapter 27

Question 1

Abrasion

Answer 1

1. damage to skin caused by scraping 2. process of scraping or rubbing [abrade (v)]
   ex) When the little boy fell off his bike, his only injury was a small abrasion on his right leg.

Question 2

Adumbrate

Answer 2

outline, indicate

ex) With assistance from the victim, the sketch artist will adumbrate a picture of the robbery suspect.

Question 3

Cognitive

Answer 3

concerned with thinking or perceiving [cognition (n)]

ex) Young children develop their skills of cognition from their childhood experiences and social interactions.

Question 4

Deign

Answer 4

to complete a task that one considers beneath him

ex) The queen would not deign to invite her maid to dinner.

Question 5

Fervid

Answer 5

passionate

ex) The candidate made a fervid speech that held the audience’s attention.

Question 6

Gall

Answer 6

1. bitterness (bad feeling) 2. confidence 3. abnormal growth on a plant 4. daring conduct
   ex) After Paul made the mistake, he had the gall to blame me for his error.

Question 7

Levee

Answer 7

An embankment built to stop a waterway from flooding

ex) The tall levee wall served as a protector and kept the strong waves from eroding away much of the coastland.

Question 8

Preternatural

Answer 8

unnatural, abnormal

ex) Seeing a penguin in the desert seemed very preternatural to the amazed onlookers.

Question 9

Quell

Answer 9

to calm or reduce

ex) The old man drinks warm milk to quell his upset stomach.

Question 10

Score (n)

Answer 10

written form of music

ex) He wrote the score of the opera.

Question 11

Abut

Answer 11

to adjoin

ex) Their property and our property abut.

Question 12

Consternation

Answer 12

worry and concern

ex) I sleep in consternation not knowing where my keys are.

Question 13

Gavel

Answer 13

judge’s hammer

ex) The judge gavelled for order in the courtroom after the defendant burst out with a confession.

Question 14

Lien

Answer 14

a claim to the possession of another until a debt is settled

ex) The bank has a lien on the truck until the buyer fulfills his financial obligations.

Question 15

Parenthesis

Answer 15

remarks deviating from the main point [parentheses are round brackets in punctuation]

ex) I told them to use parenthesis, not brackets.

Question 16

Sinewy

Answer 16

powerful and sturdy

ex) Three sinewy men were able to lift the tree off the car.

Question 17

Steep (v)

Answer 17

to soak in water

ex) The chillies are steeped in olive oil

Question 18

Tamp

Answer 18

to plug, press loose matter down tightly (e.g. pack explosives into a hole)

ex) when the hole was tamped to the top, gunpowder was inserted.

Question 19

Venturing

Answer 19

1. hazarding, risking, putting forward 2. going somewhere [venturesome means courageous or willing to take risks]
   ex) The explorers ventured inside the caverns.

Question 20

Wry

Answer 20

mocking or sarcastic in nature, dry humor

ex) Bill’s wry sense of humor made it difficult to be taken seriously at the office.

Question 21

Arduous

Answer 21

hard

ex) Playing the piano may seem arduous at first, but it gets easier with practice.

Question 22

Decimated

Answer 22

kill or destroy a large part of (originally one tenth)

ex) It is likely the category five hurricane will decimate the small beach town.

Question 23

Fledge

Answer 23

1. grow feathers 2. leave nest [fledgling (n) = an inexperienced person or a baby bird]
   ex) In the nest were some tiny, half-fledged birds.

Question 24

Gouge

Answer 24

cut or dig out

ex) A bomb had gouged a large crater in the street.

Question 25

Picayune

Answer 25

insignificant, of little value

ex) While twenty dollars may seem like a picayune sum to you, it is a fortune to a starving person.

Question 26

Riveting

Answer 26

fascinating [to rivet literally means to fix metal plates using metal pins]

ex) I find snooker riveting though I don’t play myself.

Question 27

Soliloquy

Answer 27

solo speech

ex) The actress’s soliloquy let the audience hear the character’s inner thoughts right before the climax.

Question 28

Supplicant

Answer 28

person who requests or begs for something [supplicate (v)]

ex) The supplicant earnestly sought forgiveness and asked her creator for his unfailing mercy and grace.

Question 29

Transcendental

Answer 29

supernatural, going beyond normal experience [transcendent (a)]

ex) To many, a god is a transcendent being who has powers that exceed those of mere mortals.

Question 30

Veritable

Answer 30

true, genuine [verity (n)]

ex) As I watched my brother drink beer after beer, I realized he was a veritable sponge.

Question 31

Condescension

Answer 31

showing that you are more important than others, talking down to someone [condescending (a)]

ex) You make me feel worthless with your condescending attitude.

Question 32

Divest

Answer 32

remove, take off

ex) The king refused to divest himself of the crown, even though he risked assassination.

Question 33

Eddy

Answer 33

a swirl of water movement against the main current, circular current

ex) An eddy formed in the ocean making it dangerous to swim near the ocean cave for fear of being sucked into it.

Question 34

Epaulet

Answer 34

shoulder decoration

ex) Henry is a hero, and epaulettes are on his shoulders.

Question 35

Fallacy

Answer 35

wrong idea [fallacious (a)]

ex) Having money makes you happy is a fallacy because happiness has nothing to do with wealth.

Question 36

Fringe

Answer 36

1. decorative border with tassels (n) 2. to form an edge (v)
   ex) The fringe of her jeans got caught in the escalator.

Question 37

Leaven

Answer 37

to make light; modify; cause bread to rise using yeast etc.

ex) A serious book that includes a few humorous stories as leaven.

Question 38

Patronize

Answer 38

to give money or support to someone or something

ex) I patronize my favorite restaurant at least twice a week.

Question 39

Prominent

Answer 39

1. eminent 2. protruding 3. obvious

ex) There is a six-month waiting list to see the most prominent psychiatrist in the city.

Question 40

Statute

Answer 40

law [statutory (a)]

ex) The statute prohibits businesses from selling alcohol to minors.

Question 41

Antipathy

Answer 41

hatred

ex) Her antipathy towards her teacher was obvious to everyone in the classroom.

Question 42

Aver

Answer 42

affirm, to assert something in a convincing way

ex) During the interrogation, the suspect did nothing but aver his innocence.

Question 43

Expatiate

Answer 43

speak or write at great length

ex) During his book signing, Clark will expatiate on his military adventures.

Question 44

Flag (v)

Answer 44

1. to lose energy 2. to signal

ex) If you begin to flag, there is an excellent cafe to revive you.

Question 45

Flail

Answer 45

1. tool used to thresh grain 2. to thresh (separate grain from chaff) 3. to wave arms about wildly
   ex) His arms were flailing in all directions.

Question 46

Indicted

Answer 46

accused (of crime)

ex) Although some people deny the reality of global warming, others consider it an indictment on industry by the universe.

Question 47

Loll

Answer 47

laze around, hang out (when used of the tongue)

ex) If I was rich, I could loll on the couch instead of going to work each day.

Question 48

Malign

Answer 48

slander, to say unpleasant things about someone or something(usually unfairly)

ex) By spreading the cruel rumor, my sister hoped to malign her ex-boyfriend.

Question 49

Secure (v)

Answer 49

1. to fix firmly 2. to obtain

ex) It meant a good deal to him to secure a home like this.

Question 50

Talon

Answer 50

long pointed nail or claw

ex) The eagle’s talon held a helpless mouse in its grip.