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L Flashcards

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1
Q

labile

A

likely to change; unstable

Because the hormonal changes they undergo affect their spirits, adolescents may become emotionally labile and experience sudden shifts of mood.

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2
Q

laborious

A

demanding much work or care; tedious

In putting together his dictionary of the English language, Doctor Johnson undertook a laborious task.

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3
Q

lachrymose

A

producing tears

His voice has a lachrymose quality that is more appropriate at a funeral than a class reunion.

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4
Q

lackadaisical

A

affectedly languid

He was lackadaisical and indifferent about his part in the affair.

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5
Q

laconic

A

brief and to the point

Many of the characters portrayed by Clint Eastwood are laconic types: strong men of few words.

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6
Q

laggard

A

slow; sluggish

The sailor had been taught not to be laggard in carrying out orders.

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7
Q

lagoon

A

shallow body of water near a sea; lake

They enjoyed their swim in the calm lagoon.

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8
Q

laity

A

laypersons; persons not connected with the clergy

The laity does not always understand the clergy’s problems.

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9
Q

lambaste

A

beat; thrash verbally or physically

It was painful to watch the champion lambaste his opponent, tearing into him mercilessly.

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10
Q

lampoon

A

ridicule

This article lampoons the pretensions of some movie moguls.

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11
Q

languid

A

weary; sluggish; listless

Her siege of illness left her languid and pallid.

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12
Q

languish

A

lose animation; lose strength

In stories, lovelorn damsels used to languish and pine away.

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13
Q

languor

A

lassitude; depression

His friends tried to overcome the languor into which he had fallen by taking him to parties and to the theater.

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14
Q

lank

A

long and thin

lank, gaunt, Abraham Lincoln was a striking figure.

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15
Q

larceny

A

theft

Because of the prisoner’s record, the district attorney refused to reduce the charge from grand larceny to petit larceny.

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16
Q

larder

A

pantry; place where food is kept

The first thing Bill did on returning home from school was to check what snacks his mother had in the larder.

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17
Q

largess

A

generous gift

Lady Bountiful distributed largess to the poor.

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18
Q

lascivious

A

lustful

Because they might arouse lascivious impulses in their readers, the lewd books were banned by the clergy.

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19
Q

lassitude

A

languor; weariness

The hot, tropical weather created a feeling of lassitude and encouraged drowsiness.

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20
Q

latent

A

dormant; hidden

Her latent talent was discovered by accident.

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21
Q

latitude

A

freedom from narrow limitations

I think you have permitted your son too much latitude in this matter.

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22
Q

laudable

A

praiseworthy; commendable

His laudable deeds will be remarked by all whom he aided.

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23
Q

laudatory

A

expressing praise

The critics’ laudatory comments helped to make her a star.

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24
Q

lavish

A

liberal; wasteful

The actor’s lavish gifts pleased her.

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25
Q

lax

A

careless

We dislike restaurants where the service is lax and inattentive.

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26
Q

leaven

A

cause to rise or grow lighter; enliven

As bread dough is leavened, it puffs up, expanding in volume.

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27
Q

lechery

A

gross lewdness; lustfulness

In his youth he led a life of lechery and debauchery; he did not mend his ways until middle age.

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28
Q

lectern

A

reading desk

The chaplain delivered his sermon from a hastily improvised lectern.

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29
Q

leery

A

suspicious; cautious

Don’t eat sushi at this restaurant; I’m a bit leery about how fresh it is.

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30
Q

leeway

A

room to move; margin

When you set a deadline, allow a little leeway.

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31
Q

legerdemain

A

sleight of hand

The magician demonstrated his renowned legerdemain.

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32
Q

levee

A

earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding

As the river rose and threatened to overflow the levee, emergency workers rushed to reinforce the walls with sandbags.

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33
Q

levitate

A

float in the air (especially by magical means)

As the magician passed his hands over the recumbent body of his assistant, she appeared to rise and levitate about three feet above the table.

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34
Q

levity

A

lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity

Stop giggling abd wriggling around in the pew; such levity is improper in church.

35
Q

levy

A

impose (a fine); collect (a payment)

Crying “No taxation withouth representation,” the colonists demonstrated against England’s power to levy taxes.

36
Q

lewd

A

lustful

They found his lewd stories objectionable.

37
Q

lexicographer

A

compiler of a dictionary

The new dictionary is the work of many lexicographers who spent years compiling and editing the work.

38
Q

lexicon

A

dictionary

I cannot find this word in any lexicon in the library.

39
Q

liability

A

drawback; debts

Her lack of an extensive vocabulary was a liability that she was able to overcome.

40
Q

liaison

A

officer who acts as go-between for two armies; intermediary

As the liason, he had to avoid offending the leaders of the two armies.

41
Q

libelous

A

defamatory; injurious to the good name of a person

He sued the newspaper because of its libelous story.

42
Q

libertine

A

debauched person, roue

Although she was aware of his reputation as a libertine, she felt she could reform him and help him break his dissolute way of life.

43
Q

libidinous

A

lustful

They objected to his libidinous behavior.

44
Q

libido

A

emotional urges behind human activity

The psychiatrist maintained that suppression of the libido often resulted in maladjustment and neuroses.

45
Q

libretto

A

text of an opera

The composer of an opera’s music is remembered more frequently than the author of its libretto.

46
Q

licentious

A

wanton; lewd; dissolute

The licentious monarch helped bring about his country’s downfall.

47
Q

lien

A

legal claim on a property

There was a delay before Ralph could take possession of his late uncle’s home; apparently, another claimant had a lien upon the estate.

48
Q

ligneous

A

like wood

Petrified wood may be ligneous in appearance, but it is stonelike in composition.

49
Q

lilliputian

A

extremely small

Tiny and delicate, the model was built on a lilliputian scale.

50
Q

limber

A

flexible

Hours of ballet classes kept him limber.

51
Q

limn

A

draw; outline; describe

Parodoxically, the more realistic the details this artist chooses, the better able to limn her fantastic, other-worldly landscapes.

52
Q

lineaments

A

features, especially of the face

She quickly sketched the lineaments of his face.

53
Q

list

A

tilt; lean over

That flagpole should be absolutely vertical; instead, it lists to one side.

54
Q

listless

A

lacking in spirit or energy

We had expected him to be full of enthusiasm and were surprised by his listless attitude.

55
Q

litany

A

supplicatory prayer

On this solemn day, the congregation responded to the prayers of the priest during the litany with fervor and intensity.

56
Q

lithe

A

flexible; supple

Her figure was lithe and willowy.

57
Q

litigation

A

lawsuit

Try to settle this amicably; I do not want to start litigation.

58
Q

litotes

A

understatement for emphasis

To say, “He little realizes,” when we mean that he does not realize at all, is an example of the kind of understatement we call litotes.

59
Q

livid

A

lead-coloredl; black and blue; ashen; enraged

His face was so livid with rage that we were afraid that he might have an attack of apoplexy.

60
Q

loath

A

averse; reluctant

They were both loath for him to go.

61
Q

loathe

A

detest

We loathed the wicked villain.

62
Q

lode

A

metal-bearing vein

If this lode that we have discovered extends for any distance, we have found a fortune.

63
Q

lofty

A

very high

They used to tease him about his lofty ambitions.

64
Q

loiter

A

hang around; linger

The policeman told him not to loiter in the alley.

65
Q

loll

A

lounge about

They lolled around in their chairs watching television.

66
Q

lope

A

gallop slowly

As the horses loped along, we had an opportunity to admire the ever-changing scenery.

67
Q

loquacious

A

talkative

She is very loquacious and can speak on the telephone for hours.

68
Q

lout

A

clumsy person

The delivery boy is an awkward lout.

69
Q

low

A

moo

From the hilltop, they could see the herd like ants in the distance; they could barely hear the cattle low.

70
Q

lucre

A

money

Preferring lucre to undying fame, he wrote stories of popular appeal.

71
Q

ludicrous

A

laughable; trifling

Let us be serious; this is not a ludicrous issue.

72
Q

lugubrious

A

mournful

The lugabrious howling of the dogs added to our sadness.

73
Q

lull

A

moment of calm

Not wanting to get wet, they waited under the awning for a lull in the rain.

74
Q

lumber

A

move heavily of clumsily

Still somewhat torpid after its long hibernation, the bear lumbered through the woods.

75
Q

lumen

A

unit of light energy (one candle’s worth)

In buying light bulbs, she checked not only their power, as measured in watts, but their brightness, as measured in lumens.

76
Q

luminary

A

celebrity; dignitary

A leading light of the American stage, Ethel Barrymore was a theatrical luminary whose name lives on.

77
Q

luminous

A

shining; issuing light

The sun is a luminous body.

78
Q

lurid

A

wild; sensational

The lurid stories he told shocked his listeners.

79
Q

lurk

A

stealthily lie in waiting; slink; exist unperceived

“Who knows what evils lurk in the hearts of men? The shadow knows.”

80
Q

luscious

A

pleasing to taste or smell

The ripe peach was luscious.

81
Q

luster

A

shine; gloss

The soft luster of the silk in the dim light was pleasing.

82
Q

lustrous

A

shining

Her large and lustrous eyes gave a touch of beauty to an otherwise drab face.

83
Q

luxuriant

A

fertile; abundant; ornate

Farming was easy in this luxuriant soil.

84
Q
A

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