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New words > January 2014 > Flashcards

January 2014 Flashcards

1
Q

Portico

A

Porch

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2
Q

Harridan

A

scornful hag

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3
Q

Scabrous

A
  1. Covered in scabs 2. Salacious, to do with sex
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4
Q

Conniption

A

a fit of rage or hysterics.

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5
Q

Emitic

A

substance causing nausea and vomiting

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6
Q

exegesis

A

critical explanation or interpretation of a text

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7
Q

Protean

A

As in protean political personality; changeable, inconstant, fickle

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8
Q

Confluence

A

In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water

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9
Q

Panegyric

A

formal public speech praising something

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10
Q

Velour-and-pine

A

Velour is a soft fabric, make chav tracksuits out of it

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11
Q

Aigrette

A

feathered headress

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12
Q

logorrhoea

A

Victim of terminal logorrhoea

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13
Q

Epiphyte

A

plant growing on another

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14
Q

Blateroon

A

boaster

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15
Q

Ursine

A

relating to, or resembling bears

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16
Q

Éminence Gris

A

A powerful decision-maker or advisor who operates “behind the scenes”

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17
Q

Torte

A

rich, usually multilayered, cake that is filled with whipped cream, buttercreams, mousses, jams, or fruits

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18
Q

Poujadiste

A

Pierre Poujade led tax protests in France in 1950s

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19
Q

Obstreperousness

A

Difficult to control and noisy

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20
Q

Vox clamantis in deserto

A

A voice crying out in the wilderness

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21
Q

Gibbous

A

Opposite of crescent moon (mostly full moon)

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22
Q

gimlet

A

gimlet-eyed calculations; a hand tool for drilling small holes

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23
Q

Syncretic

A

Reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief

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24
Q

Priapism

A

Continuous non sexual erection

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25
Q

Addled

A

when eggs are rotten

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26
Q

prelapsarian

A

characteristic of the time before the Fall of Man; innocent and unspoilt.

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27
Q

Kyphosis

A

curvature of spine

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28
Q

contumely

A

insolent or insulting language or treatment.

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29
Q

Adiposity

A

Of, relating to, or composed of animal fat; fatty

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30
Q

Radome

A

dome thing like what was on the British embassy roof in Berlin

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31
Q

laconic

A

brief, concise, terse. Mark was in a strangely laconic mood at dinner

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32
Q

Abstemious

A

Opposite of self-indulgent; sober

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33
Q

Vulpine

A

Fox like

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34
Q

Lapidary

A

Lapidary inscription - cutter, engraver of precious gems

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35
Q

propitiation

A

Mumbling prayer of propitiation - appeasing a deity (for e.g.) to avoid divine retribution

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36
Q

Tabard

A

sleeveless jerkin

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37
Q

Greaves

A

Shin pads

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38
Q

Jargogle

A

confuse, jumble

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39
Q

Slubberdegullion

A

villain

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40
Q

Emerati

A

retired academics

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41
Q

Callipygous

A

perfectly formed buttocks

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42
Q

dudgeon

A

A sullen, angry, or indignant humor: “Slamming the door in Meg’s face, Aunt March drove off in high dudgeon.

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43
Q

Irredentism

A

The conception that a part of the cultural and ethnic nation remains “unredeemed” outside the borders of its appropriate nation-state

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44
Q

Gasket

A

seal

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45
Q

Solecism

A

Grammatical mistake

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46
Q

Sump

A

where the oil collects in an engine

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47
Q

Basij

A

Iranian paramilitary

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48
Q

meed

A

Alleged meed of the suicide bomber - reward

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49
Q

Bantam

A

small chicken

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50
Q

Abdabs

A

nervous anxiety or irritation: that idea gives most lawyers the screaming abdabs

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51
Q

Caryatid

A

sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar

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52
Q

Lictors

A

Roman bodyguards

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53
Q

Etiolated

A

Pale and limp because of a lack of light - especially plants.

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54
Q

Dysphoria

A

state of unhappiness

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55
Q

Corselet

A

Breast plate

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56
Q

Squit

A

Pompous squit - a loose stool

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57
Q

maladroit

A

clumsy, bungling

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58
Q

Copacetic

A

in excellent order.

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59
Q

Manqué

A

having failed to become what one might have been.

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60
Q

Endocrine

A

“My whole endocrine orchestra said Go” - system of glands that control hormones

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61
Q

Primula

A

Flower. Oxlip is a primula.

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62
Q

jeunesse dorée

A

fashionable and wealthy young people

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63
Q

Embolus

A

Blood clot

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64
Q

Ramfeezled

A

exhausted

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65
Q

Proscenium

A

A proscenium is the area of a theatre surrounding the stage opening. A proscenium arch is the arch over this area.

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66
Q

Radome

A

dome thing like what was on the British embassy roof in Berlin

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67
Q

Tenax propositi

A

“firm of purpose”

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68
Q

Lithons

A

Concrete lithons the size of Stonehenge sarsens

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69
Q

Myelin

A

Myelin is a substance rich in protein and lipids (fatty substances) that forms layers around the nerve fibers and acts as insulation. The nerve can be likened to an electrical cable; the axon, or nerve fiber that transmits the nerve impulse, is like the copper wire; and the myelin sheath is like the insulation around the wire. In the case of MS, the immune system attacks the central nervous system, including myelin.

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70
Q

Embower

A

enclose

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71
Q

Wink-a-peeps

A

eyes

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72
Q

Culvert

A

River tunnel / pipe - lets water go under the road or path

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73
Q

Ewer

A

large jug

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74
Q

Water cress

A

What Tram-Anh’s parents grow

75
Q

Milquetoast

A

Weak, timid, or bland person (from a cartoon character called Caspar Milquetoast)

76
Q

Maieutic

A

My publisher’s maieutic drive - relating to or resembling the Socratic method of eliciting new ideas from another

77
Q

bromides

A

fragrant bromides - phrase or platitude that, having been employed excessively, suggests insincerity or a lack of originality

78
Q

Withers

A

the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged mammal

79
Q

serried

A

Trees so tightly serried / serried ranks of soldiers - standing close together

80
Q

Snirtle

A

laugh in snorts

81
Q

Unguent

A

a soft greasy or viscous substance used as ointment or for lubrication.

82
Q

Poltroon

A

Utter coward

83
Q

Tenon

A

When two bits of wood are joined this is the bit that sticks out. The male bit.

84
Q

Topi

A

Another name for a pith helmet

85
Q

Prebendary

A

senior member of clergy, normally supported by the revenues from an estate or parish

86
Q

Verismo

A

Realism; violent sordid operas; An artistic movement of the late 19th century, originating in Italy and influential especially in grand opera, marked by the use of rural characters and common, everyday themes often treated in a melodramatic manner.

87
Q

Lancet

A

Column of stained glass in window

88
Q

Slubberdegullion

A

villain

89
Q

ordure

A

excrement; dung

90
Q

roistering

A

roistering contempt; enjoy oneself or celebrate in a noisy or boisterous way. “workers from the refinery roistered in the bars”

91
Q

Ornery

A

Bad-tempered and combative. “An ornery drunk who picks fights with strangers”

92
Q

Semiotician

A

Semiotician’s fantasia - expert in signs and symbols

93
Q

Revanchism

A

Revenge, desire to get back land lost in war

94
Q

Martinet

A

Very strict, demands obedience from others

95
Q

bollixed

A

Bush had bollixed the job

96
Q

stentorian

A

Loud and powerful (voice)

97
Q

Asperity

A

Roughness or harshness, as of surface, sound, or climate: the asperity of northern winters

98
Q

Tabard

A

sleeveless jerkin

99
Q

vatic

A

Vatic truth of Virgil - prophetic

100
Q

alluvium

A

is loose, unconsolidated (not cemented together into a solid rock) soil or sediments

101
Q

Integument

A

Fabulous integument; scab) - term in biology that refers most commonly to the natural covering of an organism or an organ, such as its skin, husk, shell, or rind

102
Q

mumpsimus

A

he still holds to the old mumpsimus that a woman’s place is in the kitchen

103
Q

Fratchy

A

irritable

104
Q

Trabeate

A

Architecture; having horizontal beams or lintels rather than arches

105
Q

Strigil

A

Strigil off gunge; curved scraper

106
Q

Lam

A

hit hard

107
Q

asperity

A

Roughness or harshness, as of surface, sound, or climate: the asperity of northern winters

108
Q

curvet

A

Horses wheel and curvet in the sodden grass - little leap

109
Q

Chary

A

cautiously or suspiciously reluctant to do something.

110
Q

Wink-a-peeps

A

eyes

111
Q

Jargogle

A

confuse, jumble

112
Q

Fratchy

A

irritable

113
Q

Eudamonia

A

Joy, human flourishing , achieved through ataraxia (imperturbability, freedom from anxiety)

114
Q

Bouquet Garni

A

Bunch of herbs tied together for cooking

115
Q

Pelota

A

basque ball game

116
Q

Effulgent

A

Effulgent in marble, shining brightly; radiant

117
Q

Callipygous

A

perfectly formed buttocks; A supple, callipygous ass

118
Q

Chantry

A

Chapel for priest to sing masses for dead people

119
Q

bien pensant

A

right thinking orthodox person. Common view

120
Q

Arcana

A

secret, alchemists were trying to discover the arcana of nature

121
Q

Laver

A

edible seaweed

122
Q

Skewbold

A

horse with white flecks

123
Q

Myelin

A

nerve linings attacked by nerve system when someone has MS

124
Q

philately

A

Study of stamps. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps

125
Q

Miscegenation

A

Cohabitation, sexual relations, marriage, or interbreeding involving persons of different races

126
Q

Partum

A

Latin for “birth”, e.g. ante partum, Post partum depression”

127
Q

Hallion

A

Shallow, callow hallion

128
Q

Exsanguiating

A

process of blood loss, to a degree sufficient to cause death

129
Q

Snirtle

A

laugh in snorts

130
Q

Svelte

A

(of a person) slender and elegant.

131
Q

begrumpled

A

sad

132
Q

Fecund

A

Highly fertile

133
Q

Carotin

A

Makes carrots orange

134
Q

Occlude

A

stop, close up, or obstruct (an opening, orifice, or passage).

135
Q

Acacia

A

Tree with yellow flowers

136
Q

asphodel

A

White flower; What blessedness there is in mallow-grass and asphodel (Hesiod)

137
Q

eminence grise

A

powerful decision-maker or advisor who operates “behind the scenes”

138
Q

Dispositive

A

relating to or bringing about the settlement of an issue or the disposition of property.

139
Q

Alameda

A

tree lined walk, spanish

140
Q

Charnel

A

Place for bones dug up when digging graves

141
Q

Palimpsest

A

a very old document on which the original writing has been erased and replaced with new writing

142
Q

cuirasses

A

Armour protecting the breast

143
Q

Heresiarch

A

One who originates or is the chief proponent of a heresy or heretical movement

144
Q

Comportment

A

behaviour; bearing.

145
Q

mimetic

A

Mimetic genius - able to mimic, impersonate

146
Q

Aediculae

A

Small Roman shrine

147
Q

Millefeuille

A

Millefeuille of history; vanilla slice; three layers of puff pastry

148
Q

Tumescent

A

swollen, his groin became tumescent

149
Q

misandry

A

hatred of men

150
Q

Penumbra

A

Edge of the shadow

151
Q

Parse

A

Analyse closely

152
Q

Suborn

A

Bribe someone to commit perjury

153
Q

Tunny

A

Tuna

154
Q

Lascivious

A

feeling or revealing an overt sexual interest or desire.

155
Q

Samovar

A

Type of urn used in olden times. Has a tap.

156
Q

Mortadella

A

type of Italian sausage, very fine pink stuff served for breakfast , like ham

157
Q

Imprecation

A

Spoken curse

158
Q

nugatory

A

of no value or importance

159
Q

Civet

A

Cat creature

160
Q

Putative

A

Reported

161
Q

Spavined

A

Marked by damage, deterioration, or ruin: a junkyard full of spavined vehicles

162
Q

Fideism

A

Belief religion can’t be rationalised

163
Q

Tocopherol

A

Vit E

164
Q

mkoynosure

A

a person or thing that is the centre of attention or admiration.

165
Q

Tufa

A

type of limestone

166
Q

Cineaste

A

film or movie enthusiast

167
Q

Ninnyhammer

A

fool

168
Q

plangency

A

I would cite with especial plangency - resounding loudly, especially with a plaintive sound, as a bell

169
Q

Blateroon

A

boaster

170
Q

Languor

A

tiredness or inactivity, especially when pleasurable.

171
Q

supercilious

A

behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.

172
Q

vituperative

A

bitter and abusive.

173
Q

Oracular

A

Oracular remarks about seagulls - enigmatic

174
Q

Ninnyhammer

A

fool

175
Q

Probate

A

proving a will

176
Q

escarpment

A

Wooded escarpment - slope or cliff, where some land has fallen away

177
Q

Crenallated

A

Crenallated institutions of Britain - with battlements

178
Q

Ramfeezled

A

exhausted

179
Q

Baldric

A

sash / sword scabbard - Baldric of Pallas was a sash. Pallas is a Patroclus-like youth, who has a baldric decorated with 50 slaughtered bridegrooms. He’s killed by Turnus (Hector?) and then Aeneas pursues him and eventually kills him)

180
Q

begrumpled

A

sad

181
Q

coffle

A

a line of animals or slaves fastened or driven along together

182
Q

Tsuris

A

problems or difficulties; trouble.

183
Q

bondieuserie

A

banal cheap religious art

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