List A3 Flashcards
0
Q
nondescript
A
adj. lacking distinction or individual character
1
Q
dauntless
A
adj. incapable of being intimidated
2
Q
paraphrase
A
v. to restate in different words; to summarize
3
Q
debonair
A
adj. easy and carefree in manner
4
Q
circumscribe
A
v. to define the limits of
5
Q
cascade
A
n. a waterfall or series of small waterfalls; a succession of stages, processes, or units
6
Q
etymology
A
n. the study of the origin of words
7
Q
etiquette
A
n. the forms of behavior of polite society
8
Q
ligament
A
n. connective tissue, joining bones or supporting internal organs
9
Q
cerebral
A
adj. pertaining to the brain; intellectual
10
Q
chronology
A
n. arrangement of events in time
adj. chronological
11
Q
scribe
A
n. a professional copyist of manuscripts and documents, esp. in ancient times
12
Q
dilate
A
v. to make wider; to expand
n. dilation
13
Q
demagogue
A
n. a leader who obtains power by appealing to the emotions and passions of the people
n. demagoguery
14
Q
remunerate
A
v. to pay or compensate
n. remuneration
15
Q
sentinel
A
n. one who keeps watch
16
Q
testy
A
adj. irritable; touchy
17
Q
foliage
A
n. leaves
18
Q
engender
A
v. to beget; to cause; to promote
19
Q
genocide
A
n. killing of a whole national or ethnic group
20
Q
bristle
A
v. to react in an angry or offended manner
21
Q
quid pro quo
A
n. an equal exchange or substitution
22
Q
segregate
A
v. to separate into groups or parts
23
Q
bolster
A
v. to support or strengthen
24
abstract
adj. without reference to scientific instance or concrete existence; theoretical; v. to remove
n. abstraction
25
mosaic
n. an image created by the assembly of many small colored pieces, e.g. tiles
26
glut
n. an oversupply
27
toddle
v. to walk with short, unsteady steps, like a child
28
pulverize
v. to crush; to grind to powder or dust
29
cardinal
adj. of main importance; principal
30
crony
n. a long-time friend or close companion
31
incongruous
adj. lacking agreement; incompatible
32
complaisant
adj. showing desire to please; cheerfully obliging
| n. complaisance
33
cumbersome
adj. clumsy or difficult to manage
34
inhibit
v. to hold back
| n. inhibition
35
staunch
adj. strongly loyal
36
spontaneous
adj. occurring naturally or without forethought
| n. spontaneity
37
urbane
adj. sophisticated
| n. urbanity
38
aberration
n. a departure from what is right, true, or correct
| adj. aberrant
39
momentous
adj. of extreme importance
40
conscript
v. to draft compulsorily, esp. into military service; n. a draftee
41
evoke
v. to call forth or call to mind
| adj. evocative
42
fastidious
adj. not easy to please; very critical or discriminating
43
unequivocal
adj. very clear; definite
44
temporize
v. to act evasively in order to gain time
45
figurehead
n. a person with apparent but no real authority
46
accommodate
v. to oblige; to provide a service or favor; to fit
| adj. accommodating
47
temporal
adj. relating to time
48
aboveboard
adj. without dishonesty or concealment
49
ad infinitum
adj. lasting forever; continuously
50
stanch
v. to stop the flow of something
51
embryonic
adj. not yet developed; at an early stage
| n. embryo
52
giddy
adj. dizzy; lightheaded
53
depict
v. to represent; to portray
| n. depiction
54
finesse
n. subtle skill in performance or in handling a situation
55
duel
n. a prearranged combat between two persons
56
fractious
adj. disruptive or irritable
57
conjecture
n. an interference or conclusion based on incomplete advance
58
interloper
n. one who interferes with the affairs of others; a meddler
59
brooch
n. a large, decorative pin
60
foment
v. to stir up negative feelings, esp. those that lead to violent action
61
morbid
adj. gruesome; awful
| n. morbidity
62
complacent
adj. too pleases with oneself; self-satisfied
| n. complacence
63
abrade
v. to wear down a surface by or as if by scraping
n. abrasion
adj. abrasive
64
hallucination
n. a false perception of reality; a delusion
| v. hallucinate
65
heinous
adj. extremely wicked; abominable
66
adorn
v. add beauty; to decorate
67
yelp
n. a sharp cry expressing pain
68
skeptical
adj. tending to question or doubt
| n. skeptic
69
stimulate
v. to rouse or excite to action or increased action; to spur on
70
stoic
adj. apparently indifferent to joy, grief, pleasure, or pain
| n. stoicism
71
cadre
n. a core group of trained, highly skilled people capable of training others
72
plethora
n. an excessive amount
| adj. plethoric
73
dismantle
V. to take apart
74
exasperate
v. to make very impatient; to annoy greatly
75
zeitgeist
n. the trend or spirit of the times
76
forfeit
v. to surrender or be forced to surrender
77
hallmark
n. any mark or symbol of genuineness or high quality
78
amplify
v. to make larger
| n. amplification
79
freelance
adj. without long-term commitment to any employer
80
florid
adj. flushed with rosy color; overdecorated
81
tantalize
v. to torment or tease by showing something desirable while keeping it out of reach
adj. tantalizing
82
elicit
v. to draw out; to invoke
| n. elicitation
83
induce
v. to influence, esp. by persuasion; to bring about; to infer by inductive reasoning
84
exuberant
adj. lively, happy, and full of good spirits
| n. exuberance
85
ascribe
v. to attribute to a specific source
86
derelict
adj. abandoned; negligent
87
cue
n. a hint
88
goad
v. to prod or urge, as if with a pointed stick; n. a long stick used to prod animals; something used to urge on
89
antediluvian
adj. very old; outdated
90
incumbent
adj. necessary or obligatory; n. a person who currently holds a particular position
91
proscribe
v. to prohibit or forbid; to denounce
| n. proscription
92
carte blanche
n. unrestricted power to act at one's own discretion
93
subjective
adj. based on personal experience or feeling, not on external evidence
n. subjectivity
94
purport
v. to acclaim, esp. falsely
95
maim
v. to cripple; to mutilate; to disable
96
nocturnal
adj. occurring at night
97
contemporary
adj. of the same time or period
98
mediocre
adj. ordinary to inferior quality; not standing out from the average
99
encroach
v. to infringe; to intrude; to trespass
100
fruitless
adj. without results; unprofitable
101
callous
adj. lacking pity or mercy; unfeeling
102
noisome
adj. disgustingly offensive; foul (esp. in reference to an odor)
103
culminate
v. to reach the highest point
| n. culmination
104
berserk
adj. dangerously destructive; frenzied
| n. berserker
105
archive
n. records or documents of a government or institution; the place where such records are kept
106
extant
adj. currently or actually existing
107
quail
v. to draw back in fear; lost heart or courage
108
tactile
adj. of or related to the sense of touch
109
diffuse
v. to spread around or scatter; adj. widely scattered
| n. diffusion
110
gestate
v. evolve, as in prenatal growth
| n. gestation
111
inundate
v. to flood
| n. inundation
112
ludicrous
adj. ridiculous or exaggerated as to cause or deserve laughter; absurd
113
wax
v. to become larger
114
traction
n. the ability (as of a tire or wheel) to stay on a surface without sliding; the act of pulling (esp. as a medical treatment)
115
ethereal
adj. delicate; soft; airy; intangible
116
taboo
n. something forbidden or prohibited
117
bellow
v. to yell very loudly; to shout
118
canon
n. a law or body of laws, esp. religious; an established principle or basis for judgment; the works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic
119
till
v. to prepare the soil for planting
120
dismal
adj. causing gloom or depression
121
impute
v. to assign credit, often of guilt or blame
| n. imputation
122
junta
n. a group of military officers ruling a country after seizing power
123
covert
adj. concealed or disguised; not openly practiced
124
hangar
n. a structure used for housing aircraft
125
dupe
v. to deceive; to trick; n. a person easily tricked
126
anthropology
n. study of the origin, behavior, and culture of human beings
n. anthropologist
127
flighty
adj. unstable or easily excited
128
condone
v. to parson or overlook voluntarily
129
repel
v. to drive or force back; to drive off
130
collude
v. to plot secretly for a deceitful or illegal purpose
| n. collusion
131
insular
adj. narrow in outlook; provincial
132
sediment
n. a residue that settles in the bottom of something
133
acrid
adj. harsh; sarcastic; bitter to the taste
134
audible
adj. able to be heard
135
posthumous
adj. done or occurring after death
136
conundrum
n. a riddle or puzzle, esp. one without a solution
137
embezzle
v. to take money for one's own use, in a violation of trust
138
lethargic
adj. dull; sluggish; moving slowly
| n. lethargy
139
hedonist
n. someone who seeks only pleasure
| n. hedonism
140
garrulous
adj. talking too much, esp. about trivial things
| n. garrulity
141
table
v. to postpone consideration of
142
quotidian
adj. daily; customary
143
protract
v. to extend the duration of; prolong
| adj. protracted
144
legerdemain
n. trickery; deception; sleight of hand
145
unpretentious
adj. modest; not showy
146
gustatory
adj. relating to the sense of taste
147
repertoire
n. the range of pieces an artist is prepared to perform
148
epigram
n. a short, cleverly-worded statement
| adj. epigrammatic
149
muse
v. to meditate; to consider thoughtfully
150
contract
v. to reduce in size by drawing together
151
retire
v. to retreat, as from battle
152
dowdy
adj. lacking in neatness or style; shabby
153
genealogy
n. the science or study if family descent
154
manumit
v. to grant freedom to slaves; to emancipate
| n. manumission
155
lopsided
adj. larger or shaped differently on side than on another
156
precipitate
adj. moving rapidly and without caution
157
duress
n. strain or hardship, often legally applied
158
arable
adj. suitable for growing crops (of land)
159
alacrity
n. cheerful willingness; swiftness
160
sensuous
adj. appealing to the sense, esp. those involved in appreciating beauty
161
cavort
v. to leap in a lively manner; to have lively or boisterous fun
162
diffident
adj. lackinf self-confidence; timid; shy
| n. diffidence
163
maelstrom
n. a violently confused state; a very large whirlpool
164
retract
v. to take back; to pukl back
| n. retraction
165
mean
adj. lowly; insignificant; petty
166
belated
adj. delayed; postponed; detained
167
crestfallen
adj. feeling disappointment; feeling shame or humiliation
168
vindicate
v. tomclear of blame with supporting arguments or proof
| n. vindication
169
taur
adj. tense; very tight
170
subordinate
adj. occupying a lower position
171
parody
n. a humorous and ridiculous imitation
172
accrue
v. to come as a gain; to increase
| n. accrual
173
endemic
adj. native to a particular country
174
credit
v. to believe; to trust
175
palatable
adj. pleasant or acceptable to the taste
176
extract
v. to remove, esp. with effort
177
pathetic
adj. arousing pity; arousing scornful pit
| n. pathos
178
vie
v. to compete
179
olfactory
adj. relating to the sense of smell
180
trauma
n. serious physical or emotional injury
| adj. traumatic
181
adulterate
v. to make impure
182
ocular
adj. relating to the eye or sense of sight
183
alchemy
n. medieval chemistry, esp. the attempt to change common metals to gold
184
commensurate
adj. equal in proportion; having the same size, duration, etc.
185
chaste
adj. pure; not engaging in sexual activity
| n. chastity
186
anecdote
N. a brief story, often humorous
| adj. anecdotal
187
fervid
adj. extremely emotional; passionate
| n. fervor
188
disparate
adj. entirely unlike
| n. disparity
189
hyperbole
n. exaggeration
| adj. hyperbolic
190
forthright
adj. direct and without evasion; honest
191
temperate
adj. consistent; moderate; without extremes
| n. temperance
192
attract
v. to pull towards; to stimulate interest
| adj. attractive
193
schism
n. a division; a split; a break
194
ubiquitous
adj. present everywhere
| n. ubiquity
195
deride
v. to ridicule
n. derision
adj. derisive
196
collage
n. an assembly of diverse elements
197
bourgeoisie
n. the middle class
| adj. bourgeois
198
husband
v. to use sparingly; to conserve
199
frugal
adj. careful in spending money or resources
| n. frugality
