Lesson 12 Flashcards
lexicon (lek´ si kon´) n.
a dictionary; a specialized vocabulary used in a particular field or place
Having grown up in the inner city, Shawn was familiar with the lexicon of the streets.
syn: jargon; argot; cant
altercation (ôl tər kā´ shən) n.
a heated argument
The mounting tension finally spawned an altercation between the police and the residents.
syn: quarrel; dispute ant: agreement; harmony
hue (hyōō) n.
a particular shade of a given color
Dad was going to paint the shutters ma“magenta, but Mom hates that hue and nixed the idea.
galvanize (gal´ və nīz) v.
to startle into sudden activity
A slight motion of the guard’s rifle galvanized the lazy work crew into action.
syn: stimulate ant: enervate
sanction (sangk´ shən) n.
permission; support
The teacher gave sanction to the student’s odd but harmless habit of doing his homework in crayon
hyperbole (hī pûr´ bə lē) n.
extreme exaggeration for effect and not meant to be taken literally
When Susan told her son she was going to kill him, it was only hyperbole.
ant: understatement
ominous (om´ ə nəs) adj.
threatening; foreboding evil
We went on our picnic despite the ominous rain clouds.
syn: sinister ant: comforting
audacity (ô das´ i tē) n.
rude boldness; nerve
Kate’s father was enraged when she had the audacity to talk back to him.
syn: insolence; impudence ant: decorum
evince (i vins´) v.
to demonstrate clearly; to prove
If you evince your theory, the university will fund your further studies.
syn: manifest
implacable (im pl´ kə bəl) adj.
unable to be appeased or pacified
Her implacable suspicions were finally put to rest when a private investigator“11.
exhort (ig zôrt´) v.
to urge on with stirring words
During halftime, the coach exhorted his team to “win one for the Gipper.”
syn: encourage
incarcerate (in kär´ sə rāt) v.
to put into prison; to confine
We were shocked that the police incarcerated Rafael for something as minor as stealing hubcaps.
syn: imprison; constrain ant: liberate; free
incisive (in sī´ siv) adj.
sharp; keen; cutting straight to the heart of the matter
I had thought the meeting would run for hours, but Sharon made a few incisive comments that settled matters without wasting time or words.
syn: piercing; acute ant: superficial; dull
expedient (ik spē´ dē ənt) adj.
practical; providing an immediate advantage (especially when serving one’s self-interest)
Lying, while not admirable, did prove to be the most expedient way to obtain the information.
syn: effective ant: feckless
pertinent (pûr´ tn ənt) adj.
having to do with the subject at hand; relevant
The lecturer took questions as long as they were pertinent and enriched the discussion.
ant: unrelated; extraneous”
