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GRE03 Flashcards

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1
Q

shrew

A

scolding woman; very small mouselike animal

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2
Q

vivisection

A

act of dissecting living animals

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3
Q

morgue

A

mortuary; place where bodies are kept before burial or cremation

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4
Q

opalescent

A

iridescent; lustrous; like an opal; N. opalescence

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5
Q

placate

A

pacify; bring peace to; conciliate; appease

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6
Q

addendum

A

addition; appendix to book; something that is added (as at the end of a speech or book)

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7
Q

misdemeanor

A

minor crime; misdeed; wrongdoing

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8
Q

tedium

A

boredom; weariness; ADJ. tedious

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9
Q

prot'eg'e

A

person receiving protection and support from a patron

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10
Q

tonsure

A

shaving of the head especially by person entering religious orders; V.

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11
Q

endemic

A

prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country; peculiar to a particular region or people; CF. pandemic

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12
Q

antithesis

A

contrast; direct opposite of or to; ADJ. antithetic or antithetical

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13
Q

corpus

A

collection (of writings or information); Ex. the corpus of Shakespear’s works; Cf. corpse

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14
Q

comport

A

bear one’s self; behave; Ex. comport oneself; N. comportment

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15
Q

romp

A

play or frolic boisterously; gambol; N.

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16
Q

deleterious

A

harmful

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17
Q

rostrum

A

raised platform for speech-making; pulpit

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18
Q

pivotal

A

of a pivot; central; critical; crucial

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19
Q

mutablility

A

ability to change in form; fickleness; ADJ. mutable: able to change; fickle; CF. mutate; CF. mutant

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20
Q

unaccountable

A

unexplicable; impossible to account for; unreasonable or mysterious

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21
Q

badinage

A

teasing conversation; banter; joking talk

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22
Q

dawdle

A

loiter; hang around; waste time doing nothing

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23
Q

impuissance

A

powerlessness; feebleness

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24
Q

cantankerous

A

ill-humored; irritable

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25
Q

ventriloquist

A

someone who can make his or her voice seem to come from another person or thing (without moving lips or jaws); N. ventriloquism, ventriloquy

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26
Q

ascendancy

A

controlling influence; position of controlling influence; CF. in the ascendant

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27
Q

disparate

A

basically different; impossible to compare; unrelated

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28
Q

recourse

A

resorting to help when in trouble; Ex. without recourse to

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29
Q

palliate

A

ease pain (without curing); make less severe or offensive (a crime or illness)

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30
Q

transcendent

A

exceeding ordinary limits; superior; surpassing; V. transcend: go beyond; exceed; surpass; N. transcendancy

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31
Q

remiss

A

negligent; careless about a duty

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32
Q

inveigh

A

denounce; utter censure or invective; Ex. inveigh against the evils of drink

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33
Q

wrinkle

A

small ridge on a smooth surface (face or cloth); V.

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34
Q

studied

A

carefully contrived; calculated; unspontaneous; deliberate; thoughtful; Ex. studied remark

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35
Q

imbecility

A

weakness of mind; state of being an imbecile; N. imbecile: stupid person; fool

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36
Q

overthrow

A

topple; N.

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37
Q

annul

A

make void

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38
Q

sumptuous

A

grand suggesting great expense; lavish; rich; Ex. sumptuous feast

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39
Q

deflect

A

turn aside; turn away from a straight course

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40
Q

malign

A

speak evil of; bad-mouth(criticize spitefully); defame; ADJ: harmful; Ex. malign influence

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41
Q

swarthy

A

(of a skin or complexion) dark; dusky; Ex. swarthy Italian ?

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42
Q

beneficial

A

helpful; useful; advantageous

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43
Q

posture

A

assume an affected pose; act artificially; N: pose; attitude

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44
Q

desperate

A

having lost all hope; despairing; reckless and violent because of loss of hope or despair; undertaken as a last resort

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45
Q

antiseptic

A

substance that prevents infection in a wound; ADJ.

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46
Q

grotesque

A

fantastic; comically hideous; strange and unnatural (causing fear or amusement)

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47
Q

foul

A

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

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48
Q

haggard

A

wasted away; gaunt; Ex. haggard faces of the rescued miners

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49
Q

choleric

A

hot-tempered; bad-tempered; irritable; easily angered; CF. cholera

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50
Q

unwieldy

A

awkward (to carry or move); cumbersome; unmanageable

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51
Q

retinue

A

following; attendants

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52
Q

memorial

A

something, such as a monument or holiday, intended to honor the memory of a person or event; ADJ: commemorative

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53
Q

cajole

A

persuade by praise or false promise; coax; wheedle

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54
Q

exasperate

A

vex; annoy or make angry (by testing the patience)

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55
Q

unkempt

A

disheveled; uncared for in appearance; not combed; CF. comb

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56
Q

insubordination

A

disobedience; rebelliousness; ADJ. insubordinate

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57
Q

irony

A

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

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58
Q

irate

A

angry; CF. ire: anger; wrath

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59
Q

exempt

A

not subject to a duty or obligation; free from a duty; V.

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60
Q

antecede

A

precede

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61
Q

retain

A

keep; maintain possession of; employ (esp. a lawyer or advisor); N. retainer: servant; fee paid to retain an advisor

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62
Q

aloft

A

upward; high up in the air

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63
Q

surly

A

bad-tempered; rude; cross

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64
Q

brag

A

boast

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65
Q

deviate

A

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

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66
Q

fidelity

A

loyalty; accuracy

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67
Q

unbridled

A

violent; uncontrolled; Ex. unbridled rage/greed

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68
Q

abode

A

dwelling place; home

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69
Q

mitigate

A

appease; moderate; make or become less in force or intensity

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70
Q

glutton

A

someone who eats too much; ADJ. gluttonous: given to gluttony; greedy; CF. gluttony: habit of eating too much

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71
Q

inviolable

A

secure from corruption, attack, or violation(or profanation); unassailable; Ex. inviolable oath/rights; N. inviolability

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72
Q

apogee

A

highest point; the point farthest from the earth; OP. perigee

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73
Q

rake

A

immoral or dissolute person

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74
Q

unique

A

without an equal; single in kind

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75
Q

personify

A

represent (an inanimate object) as a person; be the embodiment or perfect example of; Ex. She is evil/patience personified; N. personification

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76
Q

vapid

A

lacking liveliness; dull and unimaginative; insipid and flavorless; Ex. vapid lecture

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77
Q

trilogy

A

group of three related works (connected by a shared subject but each complete in itself)

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78
Q

lancet

A

small surgical tool for making incisions

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79
Q

gibberish

A

nonsense; nonsensical or unintelligible talk or writing; babbling

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80
Q

fugitive

A

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

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81
Q

virtual

A

in essence; existing in essence though not in actual form; for practical purposes; Ex. virtual ruler/space

82
Q

propound

A

put forth for consideration or analysis; set forth; Ex. propound a problem/theory

83
Q

plaster

A

paste that hardens to a smooth solid and is used for coating walls; V.

84
Q

disproportion

A

lack of proportion (between the parts); ADJ. disproportionate

85
Q

chicanery

A

trickery; deception

86
Q

reminiscent

A

suggestive of something (in the past); of reminiscence

87
Q

parish

A

area in the care of a single priest and served by one main church

88
Q

unearthly

A

not earthly; supernatural; weird; ghostly

89
Q

translucent

A

partly transparent

90
Q

chaplain

A

clergyman attached to a chapel

91
Q

introvert

A

one who is introspective or inclined to think more about oneself; ADJ. introverted

92
Q

rue

A

regret; lament; mourn; Ex. He will rue the day; N. ADJ. rueful

93
Q

dainty

A

delicate; delicately beautiful; fastidious; not easy to please; Ex. dainty movement/dress

94
Q

delude

A

deceive

95
Q

mar

A

spoil the appearance of

96
Q

quintessence

A

purest and highest embodiment; perfect example; apotheosis; most essential element; Ex. quintessence of wit; ADJ. quintessential; CF. fifth essence

97
Q

commonplace

A

ordinary; N: something ordinary or common; trite remark

98
Q

cryptic

A

mysterious; hidden; secret

99
Q

privation

A

lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life; hardship; want; CF. deprive

100
Q

zany

A

comic; crazy; N: clown; comical person (given to outlandish behavior)

101
Q

viper

A

poisonous snake

102
Q

slink

A

move furtively; ADJ. slinky: stealthy; furtive; sneaky (as in ambush)

103
Q

sophistry

A

seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning; sophism

104
Q

sagacious

A

wise; perceptive; shrewd; having insight; N. sagacity

105
Q

glossary

A

brief explanation of words used in the text

106
Q

alias

A

an assumed name esp. by a criminal (usually to mislead people); ADV. alias

107
Q

vernacular

A

living language (as compared to the official language); language spoken in a country or region; natural style; Ex. lapse into the vernacular

108
Q

episodic

A

(of a story or play) loosely connected; made up of separate and loosely connected parts; N. episode: incident in the course of an experience

109
Q

exemplify

A

show by example; furnish an example; serve as an example of; Ex. His pictures exemplify that sort of painting.

110
Q

dull

A

(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.

111
Q

viand

A

food; CF. live

112
Q

intrepid

A

fearless

113
Q

regime

A

method of system or government

114
Q

amiable

A

agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly

115
Q

yeoman

A

man or farmer owning small estate; middle-class farmer

116
Q

tract

A

propaganda pamphlet (esp. by a religious or political group); expanse of land; region of indefinite size; system of related organs; Ex. digestive tract

117
Q

travail

A

strenuous work; toil; painful labor; labor of childbirth

118
Q

degradation

A

humiliation; debasement; degeneration; V. degrade: debase; disgrace; degenerate; reduce (something) in worth; demote (someone); reduce in rank

119
Q

multilingual

A

having many languages; fluent in several languages

120
Q

prattle

A

talk idly; babble; N. CF. prate

121
Q

scorch

A

sear; N.

122
Q

vulpine

A

like a fox; crafty

123
Q

faculty

A

mental or bodily powers; teaching staff

124
Q

iniquitous

A

wicked; immoral; unrighteous; N. iniquity; Ex. den of iniquity

125
Q

lechery

A

gross lewdness; lustfulness; ADJ. lecherous; N. lecher: lecherous man

126
Q

multifarious

A

varied; greatly diversified; Ex. multifarious activities

127
Q

piety

A

devoutness; reverence for God; ADJ. pious

128
Q

mosaic

A

picture made of small colorful inlaid tiles; ADJ.

129
Q

suitor

A

man who is courting a woman

130
Q

extant

A

(of something written or painted) still in existence

131
Q

floe

A

flat mass of floating ice

132
Q

threat

A

sign or warning (of coming danger); Ex. threat of rain; V: express a threat; give warning of (something bad); Ex. The cloud threatens rain.

133
Q

prevaricate

A

lie; hide the truth (by equivocating)

134
Q

pomposity

A

self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt(pompous person); ADJ. pompous: self-important

135
Q

mimicry

A

imitation

136
Q

retrospective

A

looking back on the past; N. retrospection; V. retrospect

137
Q

gleam

A

brief flash of light; glow; V.

138
Q

ulcer

A

sore place appearing on the skin inside or outside the body; Ex. stomach ulcer; ADJ. ulcerous; V. ulcerate

139
Q

sere

A

sear; parched; dry

140
Q

rejuvenate

A

make young again

141
Q

palm

A

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

142
Q

bourgeois

A

middle class; selfishly materialistic; too interested in material possessions

143
Q

entice

A

lure; persuade to do (something wrong); attract; tempt

144
Q

taunt

A

deride or provoke; challenge in derision; N.

145
Q

sybarite

A

lover of luxury; person devoted to pleasure and luxury; CF. Sybaris: an ancient Greek city in Italy

146
Q

spin

A

rotate swiftly; make (thread) by twisting (cotton, wool, etc.); N.

147
Q

genteel

A

well-bred; elegant; striving to convey an appearance of refinement; Ex. genteel poverty

148
Q

nicety

A

precision; accuracy; minute distinction or difference; Ex. to a nicety: exactly; precisely; Ex. distinguish between niceties

149
Q

submerge

A

place under water; dip; go under water; cover completely (as with water); Ex. submerged in work

150
Q

elusive

A

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.

151
Q

carnage

A

destruction of life; slaughter; killing of large numbers of people or animals

152
Q

cloying

A

distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental; V. cloy: become unpleasant through too much sweetness or excess

153
Q

forerunner

A

predecessor; one that comes before and indicates the approach of another

154
Q

fuddle

A

make stupid or confused as with alcholic drink; N. in a fuddle: confused

155
Q

salvage

A

rescue (goods or property) from loss; N: saving; property saved

156
Q

chant

A

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

157
Q

discredit

A

defame; disgrace; destroy confidence in; disbelieve; N. CF. discreditable: causing discredit; shameful

158
Q

underscore

A

underline; emphasize

159
Q

omnivorous

A

eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything

160
Q

aberration

A

deviation from the normal; mental disorder

161
Q

litany

A

supplicatory prayer; prayer in which the priest calls out and the people replies in the same words

162
Q

censure

A

blame; criticize; express strong disapproval; N: severe criticism; strong disapproval

163
Q

asymmetric

A

not identical on both sides of a dividing central line

164
Q

barb

A

sharp projection from fishhook, arrow, or other object; openly cutting remark

165
Q

censor

A

(in ancient Rome) overseer of morals (also taking the census); person who eliminates inappropriate matter; V.

166
Q

kismet

A

fate; destiny; Ex. Kismet is the Arabic word for fate.

167
Q

stricture

A

severe and adverse criticism; critical comments; limit or restriction

168
Q

halfhearted

A

exhibiting little interest or enthusiasm

169
Q

chagrin

A

annoyance and disappointment; vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride)

170
Q

articulate

A

effective; distinct; expressing ideas clearly; having clear sounds; having joints; Ex. articulate speech; V: express thoughts and feeling clearly; pronounce clearly; unite by joints

171
Q

wisp

A

small bunch (of hair); faint streak (of smoke)

172
Q

proscribe

A

prohibit; ostracize; banish; outlaw

173
Q

germ

A

earliest form of an organism; seed or bud; something that may develop into something larger or more important; microbe

174
Q

notoriety

A

disrepute; ill fame

175
Q

writ

A

written command issued by a court (telling someone to do or not to do something)

176
Q

girth

A

distance around something; circumference

177
Q

benign

A

kindly; favorable; not malignant (disease); Ex. benign tumor

178
Q

accoutre

A

equip; N. accoutrement

179
Q

metaphysical

A

pertaining to speculative philosophy; of metaphysics; N. metaphysics: branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality

180
Q

repellent

A

driving away; disgusting; offensive; repulsive; unattractive; N.

181
Q

projectile

A

missile; fired or thrown object (such as stone or bullet)

182
Q

eminent

A

rising above others; high; lofty; distinguished; Ex. eminent position

183
Q

incursion

A

temporary invasion; CF. excursion: short journey

184
Q

prosper

A

become successful (esp. financially); thrive; grow well; Ex. children prospering under his care

185
Q

impassive

A

without feeling; expressionless; imperturbable; stoical; Ex. impassive face

186
Q

volatile

A

changeable; of a quickly changing nature (as of temper); mercurial; tending to violence; evaporating rapidly; Ex. volatile character/situation in the street

187
Q

derogatory

A

expressing a low opinion; disparaging; V. derogate: detract; disparage

188
Q

censorious

A

severely critical

189
Q

barefaced

A

shameless and noticeable; blatant; bold; unconcealed; having no covering on the face; Ex. barefaced lie

190
Q

gruel

A

thin liquid porridge

191
Q

mute

A

silent; without speech; not pronounced; unable to speak; N: one who is incapable of speech; V: soften the sound, color, shade of

192
Q

bilious

A

suffering from indigestion; sick from having too much bile; irritable; easily irritated

193
Q

fledgling(fledgeling)

A

inexperienced; N: young bird that has acquired wing feathers and is learning to fly; inexperienced person

194
Q

bask

A

luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth

195
Q

holocaust

A

destruction by fire; CF. burnt whole; CF. Holocaust

196
Q

exquisite

A

delicate; very finely made; extremely beautiful; Ex. exquisite piece of jewelry

197
Q

grudge

A

deep feeling of dislike; Ex. grudge fight; V.

198
Q

ductile

A

malleable; pliable; (of metals) easily pulled into shape; flexible; (of someone) easily influenced or controlled

199
Q

reconcile

A

make friendly again (after quarrel); make consistent (two ideas in opposition); correct inconsistencies; Ex. reconcile one’s political principles with one’s religious beliefs

200
Q

musty

A

stale (in odor or taste); spoiled by age; CF. moist

GRE (27 decks)

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