GRE16 From2986-3185 Flashcards
sloth
slow moving tree-dwelling mammal; laziness; ADJ. slothful: lazy; indolent
decoy
lure or bait; V.
incorporeal
without a material body; insubstantial
forestall
prevent by taking action in advance
ravine
narrow valley with steep sides; gorge; CF. gully, canyon
cauterize
burn (a wound or snakebite, etc.) with hot iron or caustic substance to stop bleeding and prevent infection
wither
(of a plant) dry up from loss of moisture; lose freshness; shrivel; decay
superfluous
excessive; overabundant; unnecessary; N. superfluity
blas'e
bored with pleasure or dissipation; uninterested or bored
dauntless
bold; fearless
improvise
compose on the spur of the moment
touching
causing a feeling of pity or sympathy; pathetic; V. touch: cause to feel pity or sympathy; ADJ. touched
imponderable
weightless; that cannot undergo precise evaluation; CF. pound
sepulcher
tomb; V: place in a sepulcher; ADJ. sepulchral
impregnable
invulnerable; impossible to capture or enter by force; Ex. impregnable fort/argument; CF. take
vouch
give a personal guarantee; Ex. I can vouch for his integrity; N. voucher
prolong
lengthen; extend; draw out
scavenge
hunt through discarded materials for usable items or food; search, especially for food; N. scavenger: one who scavenges; animal that feeds on refuse and carrion
barterer
trader; V. barter: trade; exchange good for other goods rather than money
succulent
juicy; full of juice or sap; full of richness; N: succulent plant such as a cactus
alms
money or goods given to the poor
mash
crush into mash; convert into mash; N: mixture of ground grain and nutrients fed to livestock and fowl
ostentatious
showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious; N. ostentation: showy display
propriety
fitness; quality of being proper; correct conduct; conformity to prevailing customs and usages; CF. proprietor, proprietary
outspoken
candid; blunt
sybarite
lover of luxury; person devoted to pleasure and luxury; CF. Sybaris: an ancient Greek city in Italy
herald
messenger; sign of something to come; V: announce; proclaim; Ex. unheralded researcher
harping
tiresome dwelling on a subject; V. harp: dwell on(think or speak a lot about) tediously
gargoyle
waterspout carved in grotesque figures on a building
repertoire
list of works of music, drama, etc., a performer is prepared to present; CF. repertory
inconsequential
insignificant; unimportant
eugenic
pertaining to the improvement of race; N. eugenics: study of hereditary improvement of the human race
homeostasis
tendency of a system or organism to maintain relative stability or internal equilibrium; CF. homeo-: constant; Ex. homeotherm
throttle
strangle; regulate the speed of with a throttle; N: valve that regulates the flow; CF. throat ?
fuss:
trouble or worry over trifles; make nervous; pay too much attention to; N: needless concern or worry (about a trivial thing); anxious nervous condition; display of attention; Ex. make a fuss over the baby
wane
decrease in size or strength (after being full); grow gradually to an end; Ex. The moon waxes and wanes every month; N.
exclaim
cry out suddenly; N. exclamation; ADJ. exclamatory
gorge
stuff oneself (with food); glut; CF. gorgeous: dazzlingly beautiful
denounce
condemn; criticize; N. denunciation
concede
admit; acknowledge as being true (often reluctantly); yield; grant; Ex. concede a goal
canine
related to dogs; doglike
abrogate
abolish
mutilate
maim; injure lastingly; deprive of a limb or an essential part
refrain
abstain from; resist; forbear; N: chorus
impiety
irreverence; lack of respect for God or piety
dysentery
inflammatory disorder of the lower intestinal tract
unobtrusive
inconspicuous; not blatant
evanescent
fleeting; vanishing; soon disappearing; V. evanesce
deducible
derived by reasoning; V. deduce: infer; derive by reasoning
debase
degrade; reduce in quality or value; degenerate; lower in esteem; disgrace; N. debasement
agnostic
one who is skeptical of the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimate reality
provision
act of providing; something provided; preparatory measure; provisions: necessary supplies (esp. food); stipulation; condition in an agreement; Ex. According to the provisions of the agreement
tramp
walk with a heavy step; travel on foot; N: vagrant; one who travels aimlessly about; long walk; sound of heavy walking
abet
assist usually in doing something wrong; encourage
phalanx
formation of infantry carrying overlapping shields and long spears; group of men packed together (for attack or defense)
miasma
swamp gas; heavy vaporous atmosphere often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence; noxious atmosphere or influence
rigor
severity; Ex. rigors of the Russian winter
titanic
gigantic; N. titan
forge
counterfeit; reproduce fraudulently; form by heating in a forge and hammering into shape; move with a sudden increase of speed or power; Ex. forged ahead in the last two years; N: furnace where metals are heated
usurp
seize another’s power or rank (without legal authority); supplant; appropriate; N. usurpation; CF. take for one’s own use
lineage
descent; ancestry
whimsy
whim; tendency to behave amusingly strangely; Ex. story full of whimsy
detached
emotionally removed; free from emotional involvement; calm and objective; physically separate; N. detachment; CF. attachment
aperture
opening; hole; adjustable opening in a camera that limits the amount of light
referendum
direct vote by all the people
engage
attract; employ; hire; pledge oneself; confront; fight; enter into confliction; interlock; lock together; participate; N. engagement: agreement to marry; arrangement to meet someone or to do something; battle
indolent
lazy
callous
hardened; unfeeling; without sympathy for the sufferings of others; unkind
dart
move or throw suddenly and quickly
contrived
unnatural and forced; artificial; not spontaneous; Ex. The ending was rather contrived.
complicity
participation; involvement (in a questionable act or a crime)
inequity
unfairness; ADJ. inequitable
creed
system of religious or ethical belief
concord
harmony; accord
fashion
give shape to; make; Ex. fashion the pot out of clay
proclivity
inclination; natural tendency (esp. towards something bad)
glare
shine intensely and blindingly; stare fixedly and angrily; N.
bromide
platitude; chemical compound used to calm excitement
rake
angle of a slope; V: slant from the perpendicular
antiquated
obsolete; old-fashioned; outdated