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GRE 4000 words > GRE09 From1593-1792 > Flashcards

GRE09 From1593-1792 Flashcards

1
Q

whorl

A

ring of leaves around stem; ring; circular arrangement;

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2
Q

esoteric

A

hard to understand; known only to the chosen few, esp. initiates; N. esoterica

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3
Q

auspicious

A

favoring success; giving signs of future success; Cf. auspices

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4
Q

palpable

A

tangible; (of something bad) easily perceptible; obvious; Ex. palpable blunder

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5
Q

takeoff

A

burlesque; act of leaving the ground

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6
Q

ingenue

A

ing'enue; young innocent girl

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7
Q

sophistry

A

seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning; sophism

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8
Q

anticlimax

A

letdown in thought or emotion; something unexciting, ordinary, or disappointing coming after something important or exciting

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9
Q

blunder

A

error; stupid mistake

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10
Q

excerpt

A

selected passage (written or musical) taken from a longer work; V.

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11
Q

patriarch

A

father and ruler of a family or tribe

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12
Q

caption

A

title; chapter heading; text under illustration

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13
Q

whittle

A

pare; cut away thin bits (from wood); fashion in this way; reduce gradually; trim

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14
Q

zealot

A

one who is zealous; fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal

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15
Q

somatic

A

pertaining to the body; bodily; physical

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16
Q

bridle

A

harness fitted about a horse’s head (used to restrain); curb; check; V: put a bridle on; control or restrain; show anger

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17
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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18
Q

controvert

A

oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict; ADJ. controversial; N. controversy

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19
Q

component

A

element; ingredient

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20
Q

subsidiary

A

serving to assist; subordinate; secondary; of a subsidy; N.

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21
Q

tranquillity

A

calmness; peace

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22
Q

jetsam

A

things thrown from a ship (to lighten the ship)

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23
Q

specious

A

seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally)

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24
Q

commandeer

A

take (private property) for military use without needing permission or giving payment; draft for military purposes

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25
Q

prance

A

move about in a spirited manner (proudly and confidently)

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26
Q

amulet

A

charm; talisman; an object worn believed to protect against evil, bad luck

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27
Q

brisk

A

quick and active; marked by liveliness and vigor

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28
Q

gerontology

A

study of the sociological phenomena associated with old age

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29
Q

asunder

A

into parts; apart; V. sunder

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30
Q

warren

A

tunnels in which rabbits live; overcrowded living area; crowded conditions in which people live

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31
Q

abate

A

subside or moderate

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32
Q

prosaic

A

lacking in imagination; dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact(concerned with facts, not imagination or feelings); factual; CF. prose

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33
Q

erroneous

A

mistaken; wrong; incorrect

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34
Q

putrefy

A

make or become putrid; N. putrefaction

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35
Q

pliant

A

flexible; easily influenced

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36
Q

suppliant

A

entreating; beseeching; N.

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37
Q

trilogy

A

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

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38
Q

septic

A

of or causing sepsis; putrid; producing putrefaction; N. sepsis: poisoning of part of the body (producing pus)

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39
Q

eminent

A

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

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40
Q

insularity

A

narrow-mindedness; isolation; ADJ. insular: of an island; isolated; narrow-minded; CF. peninsula

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41
Q

abolish

A

cancel; put an end to

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42
Q

penury

A

extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy

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43
Q

histrionic

A

theatrical; excessively dramatic or emotional; affected; of actors or acting; N. histrionics: histrionic behavior

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44
Q

aver

A

state confidently; declare as true

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45
Q

pallet

A

small poor bed; Ex. straw pallet

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46
Q

periphery

A

outside edge especially of a round surface; perimeter; Ex. periphery of the town

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47
Q

solecism

A

nonstandard grammatical construction; construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically; violation of social etiquette

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48
Q

demotic

A

of or pertaining to the people

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49
Q

jug

A

pitcher; container for holding liquids

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50
Q

desultory

A

aimless; haphazard; digressing at random

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51
Q

affinity

A

feeling of kinship; similarity; Ex. strong affinity for her; Ex. many affinities between two languages

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52
Q

disparate

A

basically different; impossible to compare; unrelated

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53
Q

tribute

A

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

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54
Q

beset

A

harass or trouble from all directions; hem in

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55
Q

allure

A

entice; attract; tempt

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56
Q

mural

A

wall painting

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57
Q

apiculture

A

bee-keeping

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58
Q

pensive

A

dreamily or deeply thoughtful; sadly thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative; CF. think over

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59
Q

matriarch

A

woman who rules a family or larger social group

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60
Q

mime

A

pantomime(act without dialogue); mimicry; mimer; V: mimic; pantomime

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61
Q

advert

A

refer

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62
Q

tentative

A

not fully worked out or developed; provisional; experimental; uncertain; hesitant; not definite or positive; Ex. tentative agreement/reply

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63
Q

prey

A

target of a hunt; victim; V: hunt and eat as prey; victimize; Ex. Cats prey on mice.

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64
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

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65
Q

inveterate

A

deep-rooted; habitual; CF. grow old

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66
Q

pen

A

fenced enclosure for animals; confining space; Ex. sheep pen; V: confine in a pen; enclose

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67
Q

inured

A

accustomed; hardened; Ex. inured to the Alaskan cold; V. inure: make used to something undesirable; harden; CF. unfeeling

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68
Q

meddlesome

A

interfering; V. meddle: interfere

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69
Q

welter

A

wallow (as in mud or high seas); lie soaked (as in blood);

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70
Q

career

A

rush wildly; go at full speed

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71
Q

ruthless

A

pitiless; merciless; cruel

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72
Q

aberration

A

deviation from the normal; mental disorder

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73
Q

niggle

A

spend too much time on minor points (esp. when finding fault); find fault; Ex. niggle over details; ADJ. niggling

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74
Q

porous

A

full of pores; like a sieve

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75
Q

transcendent

A

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

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76
Q

faction

A

party; clique (within a large group); dissension

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77
Q

droll

A

queer and amusing

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78
Q

hackneyed

A

commonplace; trite

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79
Q

pry

A

inquire impertinently (someone else’s private affairs); use leverage to raise or open something; prize; N. pries: tool for prying

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80
Q

hindmost

A

furthest behind; farthest to the rear

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81
Q

doctrinaire

A

unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding; marked by inflexible attachment to a doctrine without regard to its practical difficulties

82
Q

corroborate

A

confirm; support; strengthen

83
Q

embezzlement

A

taking for one’s own use in violation of trust; stealing (of money placed in one’s care)

84
Q

lunar

A

pertaining to the moon

85
Q

witticism

A

witty saying; wisecrack(clever joking remark)

86
Q

skittish

A

inconstant; capricious; frivolous; not serious; Ex. charming but skittish young woman; CF. skit

87
Q

indisputable

A

too certain to be disputed; beyond doubt

88
Q

precedent

A

preceding (in time, rank, etc.)

89
Q

tan

A

convert (hide) into leather; make brown by exposure to the sun

90
Q

sphinx-like

A

enigmatic; mysterious

91
Q

recreant

A

disloyal; cowardly; N: disloyal and cowardly person

92
Q

feint

A

trick; shift; sham blow; feigned attack to draw away defensive action; V.

93
Q

glow

A

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

94
Q

stygian

A

unpleasantly dark; gloomy; hellish; deathly; CF. Styx: the chief river in the subterranean land of the dead

95
Q

exploit

A

make use of, sometimes unjustly; N. exploitation

96
Q

start

A

move suddenly or involuntarily; Ex. start at the sight of a snake

97
Q

unregenerate

A

making no attempt to change one’s bad practices

98
Q

unanimity

A

complete agreement; ADJ. unanimous

99
Q

remiss

A

negligent; careless about a duty

100
Q

incognito

A

with identity concealed; using an assumed name; ADJ.

101
Q

convivial

A

pleasantly merry; festive; joyous; gay; characterized by joviality; jovial

102
Q

imperative

A

absolutely necessary; that must be done; critically important; expressing command; Ex. It is imperative that; N: something that must be done

103
Q

elevation

A

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

104
Q

parochial

A

narrow in scope or outlook; provincial; related to parishes

105
Q

encircle

A

surround

106
Q

rarefied

A

made less dense (of a gas); V. rarefy: make less dense; N. rarefaction

107
Q

sadistic

A

inclined to cruelty; N. sadism: delight in cruelty

108
Q

quiescent

A

dormant; temporarily inactive; at rest; N. quiescence

109
Q

stanch

A

stop or check flow of blood; Ex. stanch the gushing wound

110
Q

warrant

A

justification; written order that serves as authorization (esp. a judicial writ); Ex. search/death warrant; V: justify; guarantee

111
Q

traverse

A

go through or across

112
Q

overbearing

A

bossy; domineering and arrogant; decisively important; Ex. overbearing manner/importance; V. overbear: dominate

113
Q

propellant(propellent)

A

substance which propels or drives forward (such as an explosive charge or a rocket fuel)

114
Q

disavowal

A

denial; disclaiming; repudiating; disowning; V. disavow; CF. disclaim

115
Q

nonsense

A

speech or writing with no meaning; foolish behavior or language; Ex. make (a) nonsense of: spoil; cause to fail

116
Q

assurance

A

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

117
Q

puny

A

tiny; weak; insignificant

118
Q

inalienable

A

not to be taken away; nontransferable; Ex. inalienable rights

119
Q

agenda

A

items of business at a meeting

120
Q

mangle

A

tear or cut to pieces; mutilate or disfigure; Ex. badly mangled bodies

121
Q

morbid

A

given to unwholesome or unhealthy thought; moody; characteristic of disease; Ex. morbid curiosity; N. morbidity; CF. disease

122
Q

acoustics

A

science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in

123
Q

humus

A

substance or rich soil formed by decaying vegetable matter; CF. soil

124
Q

halting

A

hesitant; faltering; not fluent; Ex. halting steps/voice; V. halt: proceed or act with uncertainty; falter; hesitate; waver; stop

125
Q

elysian

A

relating to paradise; blissful

126
Q

clout

A

great influence (especially political or social); hard blow with fist

127
Q

diffuse

A

wordy; verbose; rambling; spread out (like a gas); V: spread out in all directions; disperse; N. diffusion; CF. suffuse

128
Q

preamble

A

introductory statement

129
Q

dexterous

A

skillful; skill in using hands or mind; N. dexterity

130
Q

retiring

A

shy and reserved (of a person); modest; Ex. her retiring personality

131
Q

chore

A

daily domestic task (such as cleaning, cooking, and shopping); unpleasant task

132
Q

scorch

A

sear; N.

133
Q

scrap

A

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

134
Q

impeach

A

charge (a public official) with crime in office; raise doubts about; indict; Ex. impeach a witness’s credibility

135
Q

low

A

moo; make the sound of a cow

136
Q

fruitful

A

producing results; profitable; prolific; producing in abundance

137
Q

dilatory

A

delaying; tending to delay

138
Q

nutritious

A

providing nourishment

139
Q

molecule

A

the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the properties of that substance

140
Q

entourage

A

group of attendants; retinue; CF. surround

141
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

142
Q

oratorio

A

dramatic poem set to music; long musical work with singing but without acting; CF. cantata

143
Q

discount

A

disregard; regard (a story or news) as unimportant; deduct from a cost

144
Q

dilate

A

expand; dilate on/upon: speak or write at length on (a subject)

145
Q

infamous

A

notoriously bad; notorious; well known for being bad; Ex. infamous behavior; N: infamy: infamous act; evil fame or reputation

146
Q

waylay

A

ambush; lie in wait for and attack

147
Q

skiff

A

small light sailboat or rowboat

148
Q

remit

A

transmit (money) in payment; free someone from a debt or punishment

149
Q

combustible

A

easily burned; N. CF. combustion

150
Q

opprobrium

A

infamy; disgrace arising from shameful conduct; vilification(slander); scorn; contempt; Ex. opprobrium hurled against him; ADJ. opprobrious: expressing contempt; shameful or infamous

151
Q

analogy

A

similarity; parallelism; comparing two similar things

152
Q

schism

A

division into factions (esp. within a religious body); split

153
Q

vicissitude

A

change (esp. from good to bad); change of fortune; CF. the last emperor of China

154
Q

meek

A

submissive; patient and long-suffering

155
Q

dislodge

A

remove (forcibly); force out of a position; Ex. dislodge the food caught in his throat; CF. lodge

156
Q

discourse

A

serious speech, writing, or conversation; formal discussion (either written or spoken); conversation; V.

157
Q

angular

A

sharp-cornered; having an angle; not rounded (body); bony; lean; gaunt; stiff in manner

158
Q

gild

A

cover with a thin layer of gold

159
Q

maraud

A

move in search of plunder; Ex. marauding army

160
Q

conjure

A

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.

161
Q

adamant

A

hard; inflexible

162
Q

nutrition

A

process of nourishing or being nourished; CF. malnutrition

163
Q

lascivious

A

lustful

164
Q

stout

A

rather fat; strong in body; sturdy; resolute; determined; strong in determination; Ex. stout stick/supporter

165
Q

progenitor

A

ancestor

166
Q

gregarious

A

sociable; (of an animal) tending to form a group

167
Q

procrastinate

A

postpone; delay or put off

168
Q

tipple

A

drink (alcoholic beverages) frequently; N: alcoholic drink

169
Q

hazard

A

venture; put in danger; risk; Ex. hazard a guess; N: possible source of danger

170
Q

seminal

A

related to seed or semen; germinal; creative; providing a basis for further development; influencing future developments; Ex. seminal research in a new field

171
Q

balm

A

something that relieves pain; oily liquid with a pleasant smell from trees

172
Q

char

A

make or become black by burning; reduce or be reduced to carbon or charcoal(black substance made by burning wood) by incomplete combustion

173
Q

rare

A

(of air) thin in density; rarefied; Ex. rare air of the mountains

174
Q

oblique

A

indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line); Ex. oblique reference

175
Q

insubordination

A

disobedience; rebelliousness; ADJ. insubordinate

176
Q

argot

A

slang; speech spoken by only a small group of people

177
Q

coquette

A

flirt; flirtatious woman; woman who tries to attract the admiration of men without sincere feelings; V.

178
Q

impale

A

pierce (with a sharp point); Ex. impaled by the spear

179
Q

dispel

A

scatter; drive away; cause to vanish

180
Q

providence

A

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

181
Q

paleontology

A

study of prehistoric life or fossils; CF. paleo-: ancient or prehistoric; Ex. paleography: study of ancient written documents

182
Q

truncate

A

cut the top off; shorten

183
Q

epicure

A

connoisseur of food and drink; gourmet; ADJ. epicurean; CF. Epicurus

184
Q

decadence

A

decay; fall to a lower level (of morality, civilization, or art); ADJ. decadent

185
Q

ramp

A

slope; inclined plane or roadway (connecting two levels)

186
Q

nomenclature

A

terminology(system of specialized words); system of names or naming things

187
Q

purported

A

alleged; claimed; reputed or rumored; Ex. purported Satanists

188
Q

canto

A

division of a long poem

189
Q

flinch

A

hesitate; shrink back (in fear of something unpleasant); Ex. She did not flinch in the face of danger.

190
Q

inimical

A

(of someone) unfriendly; hostile; (of something) harmful; detrimental; CF. enemy

191
Q

windfall

A

fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event

192
Q

squalor

A

condition of being squalid; filth; degradation; dirty neglected state; ADJ. squalid: dirty; sordid; morally repulsive; Ex. squalid story

193
Q

defile

A

pollute; make filthy or dirty; corrupt morally; profane; desecrate; N: narrow passage or gorge through mountains

194
Q

inexorable

A

relentless; unyielding; implacable; not capable of being changed by entreaty or efforts; Ex. inexorable price rises

195
Q

sinewy

A

(of meat) tough; strong and firm; muscular; N. sinew: tendon; strong cord connecting a muscle to a bone

196
Q

dwindle

A

shrink; reduce gradually

197
Q

homogeneous

A

of the same kind; uniform in composition throughout

198
Q

ratify

A

approve formally; confirm; verify

199
Q

poise

A

good judgment with composure; balance; V: place in a carefully balanced position

200
Q

gloat

A

express evil satisfaction; look at or think about with evil satisfaction; view malevolently; Ex. The thief gloated over the stolen jewels.

GRE 4000 words (25 decks)

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