GRE03 Flashcards
shrew
scolding woman; very small mouselike animal
vivisection
act of dissecting living animals
morgue
mortuary; place where bodies are kept before burial or cremation
opalescent
iridescent; lustrous; like an opal; N. opalescence
placate
pacify; bring peace to; conciliate; appease
addendum
addition; appendix to book; something that is added (as at the end of a speech or book)
misdemeanor
minor crime; misdeed; wrongdoing
tedium
boredom; weariness; ADJ. tedious
prot'eg'e
person receiving protection and support from a patron
tonsure
shaving of the head especially by person entering religious orders; V.
endemic
prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country; peculiar to a particular region or people; CF. pandemic
antithesis
contrast; direct opposite of or to; ADJ. antithetic or antithetical
corpus
collection (of writings or information); Ex. the corpus of Shakespear’s works; Cf. corpse
comport
bear one’s self; behave; Ex. comport oneself; N. comportment
romp
play or frolic boisterously; gambol; N.
deleterious
harmful
rostrum
raised platform for speech-making; pulpit
pivotal
of a pivot; central; critical; crucial
mutablility
ability to change in form; fickleness; ADJ. mutable: able to change; fickle; CF. mutate; CF. mutant
unaccountable
unexplicable; impossible to account for; unreasonable or mysterious
badinage
teasing conversation; banter; joking talk
dawdle
loiter; hang around; waste time doing nothing
impuissance
powerlessness; feebleness
cantankerous
ill-humored; irritable
ventriloquist
someone who can make his or her voice seem to come from another person or thing (without moving lips or jaws); N. ventriloquism, ventriloquy
ascendancy
controlling influence; position of controlling influence; CF. in the ascendant
disparate
basically different; impossible to compare; unrelated
recourse
resorting to help when in trouble; Ex. without recourse to
palliate
ease pain (without curing); make less severe or offensive (a crime or illness)
transcendent
exceeding ordinary limits; superior; surpassing; V. transcend: go beyond; exceed; surpass; N. transcendancy
remiss
negligent; careless about a duty
inveigh
denounce; utter censure or invective; Ex. inveigh against the evils of drink
wrinkle
small ridge on a smooth surface (face or cloth); V.
studied
carefully contrived; calculated; unspontaneous; deliberate; thoughtful; Ex. studied remark
imbecility
weakness of mind; state of being an imbecile; N. imbecile: stupid person; fool
overthrow
topple; N.
annul
make void
sumptuous
grand suggesting great expense; lavish; rich; Ex. sumptuous feast
deflect
turn aside; turn away from a straight course
malign
speak evil of; bad-mouth(criticize spitefully); defame; ADJ: harmful; Ex. malign influence
swarthy
(of a skin or complexion) dark; dusky; Ex. swarthy Italian ?
beneficial
helpful; useful; advantageous
posture
assume an affected pose; act artificially; N: pose; attitude
desperate
having lost all hope; despairing; reckless and violent because of loss of hope or despair; undertaken as a last resort
antiseptic
substance that prevents infection in a wound; ADJ.
grotesque
fantastic; comically hideous; strange and unnatural (causing fear or amusement)
foul
very bad or disagreeable; very dirty; Ex. foul smell/flavor/temper/language/air/deed/weather/means; N. act against the rules; V. make or become foul; commit a foul
haggard
wasted away; gaunt; Ex. haggard faces of the rescued miners
choleric
hot-tempered; bad-tempered; irritable; easily angered; CF. cholera
unwieldy
awkward (to carry or move); cumbersome; unmanageable
retinue
following; attendants
memorial
something, such as a monument or holiday, intended to honor the memory of a person or event; ADJ: commemorative
cajole
persuade by praise or false promise; coax; wheedle
exasperate
vex; annoy or make angry (by testing the patience)
unkempt
disheveled; uncared for in appearance; not combed; CF. comb
insubordination
disobedience; rebelliousness; ADJ. insubordinate
irony
hidden sarcasm or satire; use of words that seem to mean the opposite of what they actually mean; use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning
irate
angry; CF. ire: anger; wrath
exempt
not subject to a duty or obligation; free from a duty; V.
antecede
precede
retain
keep; maintain possession of; employ (esp. a lawyer or advisor); N. retainer: servant; fee paid to retain an advisor
aloft
upward; high up in the air
surly
bad-tempered; rude; cross
brag
boast
deviate
turn away from (a principle, norm); move away from an accepted standard; swerve; depart; diverge; N. deviation; Ex. deviation of the path of light by a prism
fidelity
loyalty; accuracy
unbridled
violent; uncontrolled; Ex. unbridled rage/greed
abode
dwelling place; home
mitigate
appease; moderate; make or become less in force or intensity
glutton
someone who eats too much; ADJ. gluttonous: given to gluttony; greedy; CF. gluttony: habit of eating too much
inviolable
secure from corruption, attack, or violation(or profanation); unassailable; Ex. inviolable oath/rights; N. inviolability
apogee
highest point; the point farthest from the earth; OP. perigee
rake
immoral or dissolute person
unique
without an equal; single in kind
personify
represent (an inanimate object) as a person; be the embodiment or perfect example of; Ex. She is evil/patience personified; N. personification
vapid
lacking liveliness; dull and unimaginative; insipid and flavorless; Ex. vapid lecture
trilogy
group of three related works (connected by a shared subject but each complete in itself)
lancet
small surgical tool for making incisions
gibberish
nonsense; nonsensical or unintelligible talk or writing; babbling
fugitive
fleeting or transitory; lasting only a short time; roving(wandering); running away or fleeing as from the law; N: one who flees; Ex. fugitives at large
virtual
in essence; existing in essence though not in actual form; for practical purposes; Ex. virtual ruler/space
propound
put forth for consideration or analysis; set forth; Ex. propound a problem/theory
plaster
paste that hardens to a smooth solid and is used for coating walls; V.
disproportion
lack of proportion (between the parts); ADJ. disproportionate
chicanery
trickery; deception
reminiscent
suggestive of something (in the past); of reminiscence
parish
area in the care of a single priest and served by one main church
unearthly
not earthly; supernatural; weird; ghostly
translucent
partly transparent
chaplain
clergyman attached to a chapel
introvert
one who is introspective or inclined to think more about oneself; ADJ. introverted
rue
regret; lament; mourn; Ex. He will rue the day; N. ADJ. rueful
dainty
delicate; delicately beautiful; fastidious; not easy to please; Ex. dainty movement/dress
delude
deceive
mar
spoil the appearance of
quintessence
purest and highest embodiment; perfect example; apotheosis; most essential element; Ex. quintessence of wit; ADJ. quintessential; CF. fifth essence
commonplace
ordinary; N: something ordinary or common; trite remark
cryptic
mysterious; hidden; secret
privation
lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life; hardship; want; CF. deprive
zany
comic; crazy; N: clown; comical person (given to outlandish behavior)
viper
poisonous snake
slink
move furtively; ADJ. slinky: stealthy; furtive; sneaky (as in ambush)
sophistry
seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning; sophism
sagacious
wise; perceptive; shrewd; having insight; N. sagacity
glossary
brief explanation of words used in the text
alias
an assumed name esp. by a criminal (usually to mislead people); ADV. alias
vernacular
living language (as compared to the official language); language spoken in a country or region; natural style; Ex. lapse into the vernacular
episodic
(of a story or play) loosely connected; made up of separate and loosely connected parts; N. episode: incident in the course of an experience
exemplify
show by example; furnish an example; serve as an example of; Ex. His pictures exemplify that sort of painting.
dull
(of colors or surfaces) not bright; cloudy; overcast; boring; (of edge or sound) not sharp; not rapid; sluggish; slow in thinking and understanding; stupid; V.
viand
food; CF. live
intrepid
fearless
regime
method of system or government
amiable
agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly
yeoman
man or farmer owning small estate; middle-class farmer
tract
propaganda pamphlet (esp. by a religious or political group); expanse of land; region of indefinite size; system of related organs; Ex. digestive tract
travail
strenuous work; toil; painful labor; labor of childbirth
degradation
humiliation; debasement; degeneration; V. degrade: debase; disgrace; degenerate; reduce (something) in worth; demote (someone); reduce in rank
multilingual
having many languages; fluent in several languages
prattle
talk idly; babble; N. CF. prate
scorch
sear; N.
vulpine
like a fox; crafty
faculty
mental or bodily powers; teaching staff
iniquitous
wicked; immoral; unrighteous; N. iniquity; Ex. den of iniquity
lechery
gross lewdness; lustfulness; ADJ. lecherous; N. lecher: lecherous man
multifarious
varied; greatly diversified; Ex. multifarious activities
piety
devoutness; reverence for God; ADJ. pious
mosaic
picture made of small colorful inlaid tiles; ADJ.
suitor
man who is courting a woman
extant
(of something written or painted) still in existence
floe
flat mass of floating ice
threat
sign or warning (of coming danger); Ex. threat of rain; V: express a threat; give warning of (something bad); Ex. The cloud threatens rain.
prevaricate
lie; hide the truth (by equivocating)
pomposity
self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt(pompous person); ADJ. pompous: self-important
mimicry
imitation
retrospective
looking back on the past; N. retrospection; V. retrospect
gleam
brief flash of light; glow; V.
ulcer
sore place appearing on the skin inside or outside the body; Ex. stomach ulcer; ADJ. ulcerous; V. ulcerate
sere
sear; parched; dry
rejuvenate
make young again
palm
conceal in the palm of the hand; palm off: pass off; Ex. palm off some bad oranges onto the lady/the painting as a real Renoir
bourgeois
middle class; selfishly materialistic; too interested in material possessions
entice
lure; persuade to do (something wrong); attract; tempt
taunt
deride or provoke; challenge in derision; N.
sybarite
lover of luxury; person devoted to pleasure and luxury; CF. Sybaris: an ancient Greek city in Italy
spin
rotate swiftly; make (thread) by twisting (cotton, wool, etc.); N.
genteel
well-bred; elegant; striving to convey an appearance of refinement; Ex. genteel poverty
nicety
precision; accuracy; minute distinction or difference; Ex. to a nicety: exactly; precisely; Ex. distinguish between niceties
submerge
place under water; dip; go under water; cover completely (as with water); Ex. submerged in work
elusive
evasive; not frank; baffling; hard to grasp, catch, or understand; V. elude: escape from; escape the understanding or grasp of; Ex. elude the hunter; Ex. His name eludes me.
carnage
destruction of life; slaughter; killing of large numbers of people or animals
cloying
distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental; V. cloy: become unpleasant through too much sweetness or excess
forerunner
predecessor; one that comes before and indicates the approach of another
fuddle
make stupid or confused as with alcholic drink; N. in a fuddle: confused
salvage
rescue (goods or property) from loss; N: saving; property saved
chant
tune(melody) in which a number of words are sung on the same note; V: sing (a chant); utter (a slogan) in the manner of a chant
discredit
defame; disgrace; destroy confidence in; disbelieve; N. CF. discreditable: causing discredit; shameful
underscore
underline; emphasize
omnivorous
eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything
aberration
deviation from the normal; mental disorder
litany
supplicatory prayer; prayer in which the priest calls out and the people replies in the same words
censure
blame; criticize; express strong disapproval; N: severe criticism; strong disapproval
asymmetric
not identical on both sides of a dividing central line
barb
sharp projection from fishhook, arrow, or other object; openly cutting remark
censor
(in ancient Rome) overseer of morals (also taking the census); person who eliminates inappropriate matter; V.
kismet
fate; destiny; Ex. Kismet is the Arabic word for fate.
stricture
severe and adverse criticism; critical comments; limit or restriction
halfhearted
exhibiting little interest or enthusiasm
chagrin
annoyance and disappointment; vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride)
articulate
effective; distinct; expressing ideas clearly; having clear sounds; having joints; Ex. articulate speech; V: express thoughts and feeling clearly; pronounce clearly; unite by joints
wisp
small bunch (of hair); faint streak (of smoke)
proscribe
prohibit; ostracize; banish; outlaw
germ
earliest form of an organism; seed or bud; something that may develop into something larger or more important; microbe
notoriety
disrepute; ill fame
writ
written command issued by a court (telling someone to do or not to do something)
girth
distance around something; circumference
benign
kindly; favorable; not malignant (disease); Ex. benign tumor
accoutre
equip; N. accoutrement
metaphysical
pertaining to speculative philosophy; of metaphysics; N. metaphysics: branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality
repellent
driving away; disgusting; offensive; repulsive; unattractive; N.
projectile
missile; fired or thrown object (such as stone or bullet)
eminent
rising above others; high; lofty; distinguished; Ex. eminent position
incursion
temporary invasion; CF. excursion: short journey
prosper
become successful (esp. financially); thrive; grow well; Ex. children prospering under his care
impassive
without feeling; expressionless; imperturbable; stoical; Ex. impassive face
volatile
changeable; of a quickly changing nature (as of temper); mercurial; tending to violence; evaporating rapidly; Ex. volatile character/situation in the street
derogatory
expressing a low opinion; disparaging; V. derogate: detract; disparage
censorious
severely critical
barefaced
shameless and noticeable; blatant; bold; unconcealed; having no covering on the face; Ex. barefaced lie
gruel
thin liquid porridge
mute
silent; without speech; not pronounced; unable to speak; N: one who is incapable of speech; V: soften the sound, color, shade of
bilious
suffering from indigestion; sick from having too much bile; irritable; easily irritated
fledgling(fledgeling)
inexperienced; N: young bird that has acquired wing feathers and is learning to fly; inexperienced person
bask
luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth
holocaust
destruction by fire; CF. burnt whole; CF. Holocaust
exquisite
delicate; very finely made; extremely beautiful; Ex. exquisite piece of jewelry
grudge
deep feeling of dislike; Ex. grudge fight; V.
ductile
malleable; pliable; (of metals) easily pulled into shape; flexible; (of someone) easily influenced or controlled
reconcile
make friendly again (after quarrel); make consistent (two ideas in opposition); correct inconsistencies; Ex. reconcile one’s political principles with one’s religious beliefs
musty
stale (in odor or taste); spoiled by age; CF. moist
