GRE09 From1593-1792 Flashcards
whorl
ring of leaves around stem; ring; circular arrangement;
esoteric
hard to understand; known only to the chosen few, esp. initiates; N. esoterica
auspicious
favoring success; giving signs of future success; Cf. auspices
palpable
tangible; (of something bad) easily perceptible; obvious; Ex. palpable blunder
takeoff
burlesque; act of leaving the ground
ingenue
ing'enue; young innocent girl
sophistry
seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning; sophism
anticlimax
letdown in thought or emotion; something unexciting, ordinary, or disappointing coming after something important or exciting
blunder
error; stupid mistake
excerpt
selected passage (written or musical) taken from a longer work; V.
patriarch
father and ruler of a family or tribe
caption
title; chapter heading; text under illustration
whittle
pare; cut away thin bits (from wood); fashion in this way; reduce gradually; trim
zealot
one who is zealous; fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal
somatic
pertaining to the body; bodily; physical
bridle
harness fitted about a horse’s head (used to restrain); curb; check; V: put a bridle on; control or restrain; show anger
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
controvert
oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict; ADJ. controversial; N. controversy
component
element; ingredient
subsidiary
serving to assist; subordinate; secondary; of a subsidy; N.
tranquillity
calmness; peace
jetsam
things thrown from a ship (to lighten the ship)
specious
seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally)
commandeer
take (private property) for military use without needing permission or giving payment; draft for military purposes
prance
move about in a spirited manner (proudly and confidently)
amulet
charm; talisman; an object worn believed to protect against evil, bad luck
brisk
quick and active; marked by liveliness and vigor
gerontology
study of the sociological phenomena associated with old age
asunder
into parts; apart; V. sunder
warren
tunnels in which rabbits live; overcrowded living area; crowded conditions in which people live
abate
subside or moderate
prosaic
lacking in imagination; dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact(concerned with facts, not imagination or feelings); factual; CF. prose
erroneous
mistaken; wrong; incorrect
putrefy
make or become putrid; N. putrefaction
pliant
flexible; easily influenced
suppliant
entreating; beseeching; N.
trilogy
group of three related works (connected by a shared subject but each complete in itself)
septic
of or causing sepsis; putrid; producing putrefaction; N. sepsis: poisoning of part of the body (producing pus)
eminent
rising above others; high; lofty; distinguished; Ex. eminent position
insularity
narrow-mindedness; isolation; ADJ. insular: of an island; isolated; narrow-minded; CF. peninsula
abolish
cancel; put an end to
penury
extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy
histrionic
theatrical; excessively dramatic or emotional; affected; of actors or acting; N. histrionics: histrionic behavior
aver
state confidently; declare as true
pallet
small poor bed; Ex. straw pallet
periphery
outside edge especially of a round surface; perimeter; Ex. periphery of the town
solecism
nonstandard grammatical construction; construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically; violation of social etiquette
demotic
of or pertaining to the people
jug
pitcher; container for holding liquids
desultory
aimless; haphazard; digressing at random
affinity
feeling of kinship; similarity; Ex. strong affinity for her; Ex. many affinities between two languages
disparate
basically different; impossible to compare; unrelated
tribute
tax levied by a ruler; payment made by one nation to another in acknowledgment of submission; mark of respect (such as praise or gift); Ex. pay tribute to
beset
harass or trouble from all directions; hem in
allure
entice; attract; tempt
mural
wall painting
apiculture
bee-keeping
pensive
dreamily or deeply thoughtful; sadly thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative; CF. think over
matriarch
woman who rules a family or larger social group
mime
pantomime(act without dialogue); mimicry; mimer; V: mimic; pantomime
advert
refer
tentative
not fully worked out or developed; provisional; experimental; uncertain; hesitant; not definite or positive; Ex. tentative agreement/reply
prey
target of a hunt; victim; V: hunt and eat as prey; victimize; Ex. Cats prey on mice.
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
inveterate
deep-rooted; habitual; CF. grow old
pen
fenced enclosure for animals; confining space; Ex. sheep pen; V: confine in a pen; enclose
inured
accustomed; hardened; Ex. inured to the Alaskan cold; V. inure: make used to something undesirable; harden; CF. unfeeling
meddlesome
interfering; V. meddle: interfere
welter
wallow (as in mud or high seas); lie soaked (as in blood);
career
rush wildly; go at full speed
ruthless
pitiless; merciless; cruel
aberration
deviation from the normal; mental disorder
niggle
spend too much time on minor points (esp. when finding fault); find fault; Ex. niggle over details; ADJ. niggling
porous
full of pores; like a sieve
transcendent
exceeding ordinary limits; superior; surpassing; V. transcend: go beyond; exceed; surpass; N. transcendancy
faction
party; clique (within a large group); dissension
droll
queer and amusing
hackneyed
commonplace; trite
pry
inquire impertinently (someone else’s private affairs); use leverage to raise or open something; prize; N. pries: tool for prying
hindmost
furthest behind; farthest to the rear
doctrinaire
unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding; marked by inflexible attachment to a doctrine without regard to its practical difficulties
corroborate
confirm; support; strengthen
embezzlement
taking for one’s own use in violation of trust; stealing (of money placed in one’s care)
lunar
pertaining to the moon
witticism
witty saying; wisecrack(clever joking remark)
skittish
inconstant; capricious; frivolous; not serious; Ex. charming but skittish young woman; CF. skit
indisputable
too certain to be disputed; beyond doubt
precedent
preceding (in time, rank, etc.)
tan
convert (hide) into leather; make brown by exposure to the sun
sphinx-like
enigmatic; mysterious
recreant
disloyal; cowardly; N: disloyal and cowardly person
feint
trick; shift; sham blow; feigned attack to draw away defensive action; V.
glow
shine brightly without a flame (as of eyes or metals); show redness and heat (in the face) after hard work or because of strong feelings; N: light produced by a heated body; brilliance of a color
stygian
unpleasantly dark; gloomy; hellish; deathly; CF. Styx: the chief river in the subterranean land of the dead
exploit
make use of, sometimes unjustly; N. exploitation
start
move suddenly or involuntarily; Ex. start at the sight of a snake
unregenerate
making no attempt to change one’s bad practices
unanimity
complete agreement; ADJ. unanimous
remiss
negligent; careless about a duty
incognito
with identity concealed; using an assumed name; ADJ.
convivial
pleasantly merry; festive; joyous; gay; characterized by joviality; jovial
imperative
absolutely necessary; that must be done; critically important; expressing command; Ex. It is imperative that; N: something that must be done
elevation
elevated position; altitude; height; flat upright side of a building; angle made by pointing a gun; Ex. The elevation of her style is much admired; Ex. front elevation of the house
parochial
narrow in scope or outlook; provincial; related to parishes
encircle
surround
rarefied
made less dense (of a gas); V. rarefy: make less dense; N. rarefaction
sadistic
inclined to cruelty; N. sadism: delight in cruelty
quiescent
dormant; temporarily inactive; at rest; N. quiescence
stanch
stop or check flow of blood; Ex. stanch the gushing wound
warrant
justification; written order that serves as authorization (esp. a judicial writ); Ex. search/death warrant; V: justify; guarantee
traverse
go through or across
overbearing
bossy; domineering and arrogant; decisively important; Ex. overbearing manner/importance; V. overbear: dominate
propellant(propellent)
substance which propels or drives forward (such as an explosive charge or a rocket fuel)
disavowal
denial; disclaiming; repudiating; disowning; V. disavow; CF. disclaim
nonsense
speech or writing with no meaning; foolish behavior or language; Ex. make (a) nonsense of: spoil; cause to fail
assurance
firm statement that something is certainly true; promise or pledge; certainty; confidence in one’s own ability; self-confidence; Ex. In spite of all his assurances, he did not come back; Ex. assurance of his loyalty; Ex. The teacher lacked assurance in fron of his class; V. assure; tell firmly with confidence; ensure; make (something) certain to heappen; make (someone) feel sure; give confidence to; ADJ. assured: self-assured; confident in one’s own ability; showing certainty
puny
tiny; weak; insignificant
inalienable
not to be taken away; nontransferable; Ex. inalienable rights
agenda
items of business at a meeting
mangle
tear or cut to pieces; mutilate or disfigure; Ex. badly mangled bodies
morbid
given to unwholesome or unhealthy thought; moody; characteristic of disease; Ex. morbid curiosity; N. morbidity; CF. disease
acoustics
science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in
humus
substance or rich soil formed by decaying vegetable matter; CF. soil
halting
hesitant; faltering; not fluent; Ex. halting steps/voice; V. halt: proceed or act with uncertainty; falter; hesitate; waver; stop
elysian
relating to paradise; blissful
clout
great influence (especially political or social); hard blow with fist
diffuse
wordy; verbose; rambling; spread out (like a gas); V: spread out in all directions; disperse; N. diffusion; CF. suffuse
preamble
introductory statement
dexterous
skillful; skill in using hands or mind; N. dexterity
retiring
shy and reserved (of a person); modest; Ex. her retiring personality
chore
daily domestic task (such as cleaning, cooking, and shopping); unpleasant task
scorch
sear; N.
scrap
small bit or fragment; discarded waste material; fight; Ex. a scrap of paper/cloth; V: break into parts for disposal; discard as worthless; fight; quarrel
impeach
charge (a public official) with crime in office; raise doubts about; indict; Ex. impeach a witness’s credibility
low
moo; make the sound of a cow
fruitful
producing results; profitable; prolific; producing in abundance
dilatory
delaying; tending to delay
nutritious
providing nourishment
molecule
the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the properties of that substance
entourage
group of attendants; retinue; CF. surround
volatile
changeable; of a quickly changing nature (as of temper); mercurial; tending to violence; evaporating rapidly; Ex. volatile character/situation in the street
oratorio
dramatic poem set to music; long musical work with singing but without acting; CF. cantata
discount
disregard; regard (a story or news) as unimportant; deduct from a cost
dilate
expand; dilate on/upon: speak or write at length on (a subject)
infamous
notoriously bad; notorious; well known for being bad; Ex. infamous behavior; N: infamy: infamous act; evil fame or reputation
waylay
ambush; lie in wait for and attack
skiff
small light sailboat or rowboat
remit
transmit (money) in payment; free someone from a debt or punishment
combustible
easily burned; N. CF. combustion
opprobrium
infamy; disgrace arising from shameful conduct; vilification(slander); scorn; contempt; Ex. opprobrium hurled against him; ADJ. opprobrious: expressing contempt; shameful or infamous
analogy
similarity; parallelism; comparing two similar things
schism
division into factions (esp. within a religious body); split
vicissitude
change (esp. from good to bad); change of fortune; CF. the last emperor of China
meek
submissive; patient and long-suffering
dislodge
remove (forcibly); force out of a position; Ex. dislodge the food caught in his throat; CF. lodge
discourse
serious speech, writing, or conversation; formal discussion (either written or spoken); conversation; V.
angular
sharp-cornered; having an angle; not rounded (body); bony; lean; gaunt; stiff in manner
gild
cover with a thin layer of gold
maraud
move in search of plunder; Ex. marauding army
conjure
cause to appear by magic; summon (a devil or a spirit) by magical power; practice magic (esp. by very quick movement of the hands); evoke; conjure up: bring into the mind; Ex. The magician conjured a rabbit out of his hat.
adamant
hard; inflexible
nutrition
process of nourishing or being nourished; CF. malnutrition
lascivious
lustful
stout
rather fat; strong in body; sturdy; resolute; determined; strong in determination; Ex. stout stick/supporter
progenitor
ancestor
gregarious
sociable; (of an animal) tending to form a group
procrastinate
postpone; delay or put off
tipple
drink (alcoholic beverages) frequently; N: alcoholic drink
hazard
venture; put in danger; risk; Ex. hazard a guess; N: possible source of danger
seminal
related to seed or semen; germinal; creative; providing a basis for further development; influencing future developments; Ex. seminal research in a new field
balm
something that relieves pain; oily liquid with a pleasant smell from trees
char
make or become black by burning; reduce or be reduced to carbon or charcoal(black substance made by burning wood) by incomplete combustion
rare
(of air) thin in density; rarefied; Ex. rare air of the mountains
oblique
indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line); Ex. oblique reference
insubordination
disobedience; rebelliousness; ADJ. insubordinate
argot
slang; speech spoken by only a small group of people
coquette
flirt; flirtatious woman; woman who tries to attract the admiration of men without sincere feelings; V.
impale
pierce (with a sharp point); Ex. impaled by the spear
dispel
scatter; drive away; cause to vanish
providence
quality of being provident; divine care; god’s care; Providence: god; Ex. It seemed like providence that the doctor happened to be there; ADJ. providential: of divine providence; fortunate
paleontology
study of prehistoric life or fossils; CF. paleo-: ancient or prehistoric; Ex. paleography: study of ancient written documents
truncate
cut the top off; shorten
epicure
connoisseur of food and drink; gourmet; ADJ. epicurean; CF. Epicurus
decadence
decay; fall to a lower level (of morality, civilization, or art); ADJ. decadent
ramp
slope; inclined plane or roadway (connecting two levels)
nomenclature
terminology(system of specialized words); system of names or naming things
purported
alleged; claimed; reputed or rumored; Ex. purported Satanists
canto
division of a long poem
flinch
hesitate; shrink back (in fear of something unpleasant); Ex. She did not flinch in the face of danger.
inimical
(of someone) unfriendly; hostile; (of something) harmful; detrimental; CF. enemy
windfall
fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event
squalor
condition of being squalid; filth; degradation; dirty neglected state; ADJ. squalid: dirty; sordid; morally repulsive; Ex. squalid story
defile
pollute; make filthy or dirty; corrupt morally; profane; desecrate; N: narrow passage or gorge through mountains
inexorable
relentless; unyielding; implacable; not capable of being changed by entreaty or efforts; Ex. inexorable price rises
sinewy
(of meat) tough; strong and firm; muscular; N. sinew: tendon; strong cord connecting a muscle to a bone
dwindle
shrink; reduce gradually
homogeneous
of the same kind; uniform in composition throughout
ratify
approve formally; confirm; verify
poise
good judgment with composure; balance; V: place in a carefully balanced position
gloat
express evil satisfaction; look at or think about with evil satisfaction; view malevolently; Ex. The thief gloated over the stolen jewels.
