GRE Major Tests Chapter 27 Flashcards
Abrasion
- 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.
Adumbrate
outline, indicate
ex) With assistance from the victim, the sketch artist will adumbrate a picture of the robbery suspect.
Cognitive
concerned with thinking or perceiving [cognition (n)]
ex) Young children develop their skills of cognition from their childhood experiences and social interactions.
Deign
to complete a task that one considers beneath him
ex) The queen would not deign to invite her maid to dinner.
Fervid
passionate
ex) The candidate made a fervid speech that held the audience’s attention.
Gall
- 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.
Levee
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.
Preternatural
unnatural, abnormal
ex) Seeing a penguin in the desert seemed very preternatural to the amazed onlookers.
Quell
to calm or reduce
ex) The old man drinks warm milk to quell his upset stomach.
Score (n)
written form of music
ex) He wrote the score of the opera.
Abut
to adjoin
ex) Their property and our property abut.
Consternation
worry and concern
ex) I sleep in consternation not knowing where my keys are.
Gavel
judge’s hammer
ex) The judge gavelled for order in the courtroom after the defendant burst out with a confession.
Lien
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.
Parenthesis
remarks deviating from the main point [parentheses are round brackets in punctuation]
ex) I told them to use parenthesis, not brackets.
Sinewy
powerful and sturdy
ex) Three sinewy men were able to lift the tree off the car.
Steep (v)
to soak in water
ex) The chillies are steeped in olive oil
Tamp
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.
Venturing
- hazarding, risking, putting forward 2. going somewhere [venturesome means courageous or willing to take risks]
ex) The explorers ventured inside the caverns.
Wry
mocking or sarcastic in nature, dry humor
ex) Bill’s wry sense of humor made it difficult to be taken seriously at the office.
Arduous
hard
ex) Playing the piano may seem arduous at first, but it gets easier with practice.
Decimated
kill or destroy a large part of (originally one tenth)
ex) It is likely the category five hurricane will decimate the small beach town.
Fledge
- grow feathers 2. leave nest [fledgling (n) = an inexperienced person or a baby bird]
ex) In the nest were some tiny, half-fledged birds.
Gouge
cut or dig out
ex) A bomb had gouged a large crater in the street.
Picayune
insignificant, of little value
ex) While twenty dollars may seem like a picayune sum to you, it is a fortune to a starving person.
Riveting
fascinating [to rivet literally means to fix metal plates using metal pins]
ex) I find snooker riveting though I don’t play myself.
Soliloquy
solo speech
ex) The actress’s soliloquy let the audience hear the character’s inner thoughts right before the climax.
Supplicant
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.
Transcendental
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.
Veritable
true, genuine [verity (n)]
ex) As I watched my brother drink beer after beer, I realized he was a veritable sponge.
Condescension
showing that you are more important than others, talking down to someone [condescending (a)]
ex) You make me feel worthless with your condescending attitude.
Divest
remove, take off
ex) The king refused to divest himself of the crown, even though he risked assassination.
Eddy
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.
Epaulet
shoulder decoration
ex) Henry is a hero, and epaulettes are on his shoulders.
Fallacy
wrong idea [fallacious (a)]
ex) Having money makes you happy is a fallacy because happiness has nothing to do with wealth.
Fringe
- decorative border with tassels (n) 2. to form an edge (v)
ex) The fringe of her jeans got caught in the escalator.
Leaven
to make light; modify; cause bread to rise using yeast etc.
ex) A serious book that includes a few humorous stories as leaven.
Patronize
to give money or support to someone or something
ex) I patronize my favorite restaurant at least twice a week.
Prominent
- eminent 2. protruding 3. obvious
ex) There is a six-month waiting list to see the most prominent psychiatrist in the city.
Statute
law [statutory (a)]
ex) The statute prohibits businesses from selling alcohol to minors.
Antipathy
hatred
ex) Her antipathy towards her teacher was obvious to everyone in the classroom.
Aver
affirm, to assert something in a convincing way
ex) During the interrogation, the suspect did nothing but aver his innocence.
Expatiate
speak or write at great length
ex) During his book signing, Clark will expatiate on his military adventures.
Flag (v)
- to lose energy 2. to signal
ex) If you begin to flag, there is an excellent cafe to revive you.
Flail
- 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.
Indicted
accused (of crime)
ex) Although some people deny the reality of global warming, others consider it an indictment on industry by the universe.
Loll
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.
Malign
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.
Secure (v)
- to fix firmly 2. to obtain
ex) It meant a good deal to him to secure a home like this.
Talon
long pointed nail or claw
ex) The eagle’s talon held a helpless mouse in its grip.
