gre36 Flashcards
volition
act of making a conscious choice
volitive
relating to the will; expressing a wish
volution
a turn or twist around a center
volvulus
abnormal twisting of the intestine
voracity
condition of being eager to consume great amounts of food
xenocryst
foreign crystal in an ingenuous rock
xenogenesis
production of children that are very different from either parent
zoolatry
animal worship
zoogenic
produced by animals
zoonosis
animal disease that can be transmitted to human beings
zoophilia
affection for animals
countermand
to annul, cancel
countervailing
counteracting
ex) the Three branches of the US federal government are designed to act as countervailing centers of powers
coup
a brilliantly executed stratagem
coup de grace
a finishing blow, a decisive stroke
coven
group of witches
cozen
to mislead by trick or fraud
ex) the conman cozened rick into investing in a fraudulent scheme
crass
crude, unrefined
ex) Susan had trouble forgiving burt for his crass behavior at her party
credo
statement of belief
ex) The party issued its credo
cryptic
puzzling
ex) The reporters tried to figure out the president’s cryptic comment
cuisine
style of cooking
ex) Mediterranean cuisine is becoming very popular
culinary
related to cooking
cupidity
greed
curmudgeon
cranky person
ex) The old curmudgeon’s favorite pastime is writing letters
curt
abrupt
ex) John answered his boss’s question with a curt ‘no’ and walked out the door
cynosure
Object of common interest; guide
ex) The builders turned that eyesore of a dilapidated building into a cynosure
dais
raised platform for guests of honor
ex) The governor and his cabinet were seated on the dais ready to take questions from the press
debauchery
corruption
debunk
to discredit
ex) the theory has been debunked by modern science
decadence
a process or period of deterioration or decline
decapitate
to behead
decathlon
athletic contest with ten events
deciduous
falling off or shedding at a particular season or stage of growth
ex) Mrs.Miller’s yard has a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees
decry
to condemn openly
ex) The president decried the opposition party’s tactic of blocking every proposal he put forward
deface
to mar the external appearance
ex) vandals defaced the statue
mar
to damage or spoil to a certain extent
delectable
delicious
delegate
to give powers to others
deluge
a great flood; something that overwhelms
demean
to degrade, humiliate
ex) the teacher used ridicule to demean the student
demur
to express doubt
ex) when the jury’s verdict was announced, only one member demurred
demure
reserved and modest in manner
ex) in asia, females are traditionally encouraged to be demure
denigrate
to slur someone’s reputation
ex) the rumor was spread to denigrate the senator
denotation
the most direct meaning of a word
ex) many words have several denotations
denouement
outcome; unraveling of the plot or work of literature
ex) the film’s denouement explains why the couple decided to divorce
denunciation
public condemnation
ex) the president issued a denunciation of the improper actions.
depravity
moral corruption
ex) the church leaders condemned the depravity of modern society
deprecate
to belittle, disparage
ex) the patriot deprecated every country in the world except his own
depredation
damage or loss
ex) china is undergoing great environmental depredation
de rigueur
required b custom or fashion
ex) in the 1970s miniskirts were de rigueur
derivative
unoriginal
descry
to catch sight of something
ex) the bird watcher descried an eagle high in the sky
desecrate
to violate the sacredness of; profane
ex) vandals desecrated the graveyard
despondent
feeling discouraged
ex) hal refused to let his poor test score make him despondent
destitute
very poor
ex) most advanced countries have programs to help the destitute
desuetude
state of disuse
ex) the household has fallen into desuetude
desultory
random, disconnected; rambling
ex) jim’s desultory efforts to improve his GRE score are not likely to be very effective
deterministic
determined inevitably as the consequence of antecedent events
ex) the philosopher argues that there is no room for free will in a deterministic universe
deus ex machina
any artificial method of solving a difficulty; an improbable element introduced in a story to resolve a situation
ex) critics complain that the mystery writer unnecessarily used a deus ex machina in her story
devious
indirect, cunning
ex) the detective uncovered a devious plot to rob the bank
devoid
totally lacking
the moon is devoid of life
diabolical
fiendish, wicked
dichotomy
division into two unusually contradictory parts
ex) some philosophers posit a dichotomy between mind and matter
didactic
intended to instruct, teaching
diffuse
wordy; rambling; spread out
ex) This essay is so diffuse that its argument is difficult to understand
2) spread out(분산)
dilapidated
ruined because of neglect
dabble
to play
dirge
funeral hymn
disabuse
to free from a misconception
ex) the professor felt her first job was to disabuse students of the belief that mathematics is a uselesssubject
disarm
to overcome or allay suspicion
disbar
to expel from legal profession
discount
to disregard
discrepancy
difference between
discreet
having good sense and behavior
discrete
constituting a separate thing; distinct
discriminating
able to see differences; prejudiced
discursive
wandering from topic to topic
disheveled
untidy, unkempt
disjointed
lacking order or coherence
disparage
to belittle
disparate
dissmilar
disposition
tendency, temperament
dissension
difference of opinion
dissipate
to scatter; pursue pleasure to excess
dissolution
disintegration; debauchery
distrait
inattentive; preoccupied
distraught
worried, distressed
divine
to foretell
doggerel
poor verse
doleful
sad, mournful
domicile
home
