List 5

Question 1

astringent

Answer 1

ADJ. binding; causing contraction. The astrin- gent quality of the unsweetened lemon juice made swallow- ing difficult. also N.

Question 2

astute

Answer 2

ADJ. wise; shrewd; keen. John Jacob Astor made astute investments in land, shrewdly purchasing valuable plots throughout New York City.

Question 3

asunder

Answer 3

ADV. into parts; apart. A fierce quarrel split the partnership asunder: the two partners finally sundered their connections because their points of view were poles asunder.

Question 4

atavism

Answer 4

N. reversion to an earlier type; throwback. In his love for gardening, Martin seemed an atavism to his Tuscan forebears, who lavished great care on their small plots of soil.

Question 5

atone

Answer 5

V. make amends for; pay for. He knew no way in which he could atone for his brutal crime

Question 6

atrophy

Answer 6

V. waste away. After three months in a cast, your calf muscles are bound to atrophy; you’ll need physical therapy to get back in shape. also N.

Question 7

attenuate

Answer 7

V. make thin; weaken. By withdrawing their forces, the generals hoped to attenuate the enemy lines.

Question 8

attrition

Answer 8

N. gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment. In the 1960s urban churches suffered from attrition as members moved from the cities to the suburbs. Rather than fire staff members, church leaders followed a policy of attrition, allowing elderly workers to retire without replacing them.

Question 9

audacious

Answer 9

ADJ. daring; bold. Audiences cheered as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia made their audacious, death- defying leap to freedom, escaping Darth Vader’s troops. audacity, N.

Question 10

augury

Answer 10

N. omen; prophecy. He interpreted the departure of the birds as an augury of evil. augur, V.

Question 11

aureole

Answer 11

N. sun’s corona; halo. Many medieval paintings depict saintly characters with aureoles around their heads.

Question 12

avarice

Answer 12

N. greediness for wealth. King Midas is a perfect example of avarice, for he was so greedy that he wished everything he touched would turn to gold.

Question 13

aver

Answer 13

V. assert confidently; affirm. Despite overwhelming popular skepticism about his voyage, Columbus averred he would succeed in finding a direct sea route to the Far East.

Question 14

aversion

Answer 14

N. firm dislike.

Question 15

avocation

Answer 15

N. secondary or minor occupation. His hobby proved to be so fascinating and profitable that gradually he abandoned his regular occupation and concentrated on his avocation.

Question 16

avuncular

Answer 16

ADJ. Iike an uncle. Avuncular pride did not pre- vent him from noticing his nephew’s shortcomings.

Question 17

awry

Answer 17

ADV. crooked; wrong; amiss. Noticing that the groom’s tie was slightly awry, the bride reached over to set it straight. A careful organizer, she hated to have anything go awry with her plans.

Question 18

bacchanalian

Answer 18

ADJ. drunken. Emperor Nero attended the bacchanalian orgy.

Question 19

badinage

Answer 19

N. teasing conversation. Her friends at work greeted the news of her engagement with cheerful badi- nage.

Question 20

baleful

Answer 20

ADJ. deadly; having a malign influence; ominous. The fortune teller made baleful predictions of terrible things to come.

Question 21

balk

Answer 21

V. foil or thwart; stop short; refuse to go on. When the warden learned that several inmates were planning to escape, he took steps to balk their attempt. However, he balked at punishing them by shackling them to the walls of their cells.

Question 22

banal

Answer 22

ADJ. hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking origi- nality. The hack writer’s worn-out clichés made his comic sketch seem banal. He even resorted to the banality of hav- ing someone slip on a banana peel!

Question 23

bandy

Answer 23

V. discuss lightly or glibly; exchange (words) heat- edly. While the president was happy to bandy patriotic gen- eralizations with anyone who would listen to him, he refused to bandy words with unfriendly reporters at the press con- ference.