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English > literature vocab 2 > Flashcards

literature vocab 2 Flashcards

1
Q

a pawn

A
  1. (chess) pešiak

2. a person used by others for their purposes e.g. he was a pawn in the schism

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2
Q
  1. (chess) pešiak

2. a person used by others for their purposes

A

a pawn

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3
Q

shove

A
  1. push roughly

2. [with obj.] puth something somewhere roughly or carelessly

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4
Q
  1. push roughly

2. [with obj.] puth something somewhere roughly or carelessly

A

shove

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5
Q

grove

[grou-v]

A

a small wood, a small group of trees e.g. an olive grove

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6
Q

a small wood, a small group of trees

A

grove

[grou-v]

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7
Q

courtesy

A

politeness or respectful act towards others e.g. holding the door for someone, good manner

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8
Q

politeness or respectful act towards others e.g. holding the door for someone, good manner

A

courtesy

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9
Q

dire

A

extremely serious or urgent causing fear or worry e.g. a family in dire need; a dire calamity

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10
Q

extremely serious or urgent causing fear or worry

A

dire

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11
Q

wary

[weh-ree]

A

cautious or distrustful

e.g. be wary of wild mushrooms!

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12
Q

cautious or distrustful

A

wary

[weh-ree]

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13
Q

prudent

A

(in a situation) wise, sensible, well-thought

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14
Q

(in a situation) wise, sensible, well-thought

A

prudent

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15
Q

imprudent

A

not showing care for consequences, reckless, stupid

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16
Q

shrewd

A

smart or clever in the practical way

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17
Q

smart or clever in the practical way

A

shrewd

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18
Q

abrupt

A
  1. sudden and unexpected

2. very brief to the point of rudeness e.g. sorry i was abrupt - i was rushing to the class.

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19
Q
  1. sudden and unexpected

2. very brief to the point of rudeness

A

abrupt

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20
Q

ersatz [n./adj.]

A
  1. an inferior imitation e.g. instant coffee is an ersatz to a freshly brewed balinese coffee
  2. artificial and inferior
  3. not real or genuine e.g. ersatz emotion
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21
Q

an inferior imitation

2. artificial and inferior

A

ersatz [n./adj.]

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22
Q

poignant

[poin-yuh-nt]

A

evoking a keen (sharp and penetrating) sadness or regret

e.g. a melancholic film, or a poignant reminder of passing time

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23
Q

evoking a keen (sharp and penetrating) sadness or regret

A

poignant

[poin-yuh-nt]

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24
Q

(v./n.) slumber

A
  1. sleep, doze e.g. sleeping beauty slumbered in her castle
  2. describing something peaceful e.g. the street slumbered in the early morning
  3. a dormant, quiet state
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25
Q
  1. sleep, doze

2. a dormant, quiet state

A

(v./n.) slumber

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26
Q

searing

A

extremely hot or intense

sear = burn, experienced as sudden burning

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27
Q

extremely hot or intense

A

searing

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28
Q

jeer

A

make loud mocking remarks especially in loud voice

to laugh at in a mean way

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29
Q

make loud mocking remarks especially in loud voice

to laugh at in a mean way

A

jeer

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30
Q

(v./n.) taunt

A

a remark made in order to provoke, anger or wound someone

to provoke with insulting remarks

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31
Q

a remark made in order to provoke, anger or wound someone

to provoke with insulting remarks

A

taunt

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32
Q

to tamper

A

interfere, meddle or mess with something usually secretly or dishonestly e.g. someone has tampered with the documents on my desk

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33
Q

interfere, meddle or mess with something usually secretly or dishonestly

A

to tamper

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34
Q

repent

A

feel sorry and express regret for your doings

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35
Q

trite

A

lacking originality or freshness

dull on account of overuse e.g. action in Hollywood movies

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36
Q

lacking originality or freshness

dull on account of overuse

A

trite

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37
Q

strain

A
  1. make unusual effort e.g. i stopped and strained my ears to listen or i had to strain to hear him talk
  2. push, pull forcibly, stretch tightly
  3. pour through porous device to separate solid matter
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38
Q
  1. make unusual effort e.g. i stopped and strained my ears to listen or i had to strain to hear him talk
  2. push, pull forcibly, stretch tightly
  3. pour through porous device to separate solid matter
A

strain

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39
Q

strained

A
  1. tense, uneasy, showing signs or nervous tiredness e.g. his strained face
  2. forced rather than spontaneous e.g. her strained laugh
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40
Q
  1. tense, uneasy, showing signs or nervous tiredness

2. forced rather than spontaneous

A

strained

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41
Q

adjourn

A

break off or postpone (a meeting, jury, legal case, a session or a game) with the intention of resuming it later

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42
Q

break off or postpone (a meeting, jury, legal case, a session or a game) with the intention of resuming it later

A

adjourn

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43
Q

wager

A

(more formal) to bet / a bet

44
Q

(more formal) to bet / a bet

45
Q

stride

A
  1. walk with long, decisive steps e.g. Marcia Overstrand strode across the marshes
  2. a long decisive step
46
Q
  1. walk with long, decisive steps

2. a long decisive step

47
Q

compel

A

force or drive someone to do something

48
Q

force or drive someone to do something

49
Q

plea

A

an urgent and emotional or begging request

50
Q

an urgent and emotional or begging request

51
Q

menace

A

a person or thing that is likely to cause harm

a threat or danger

52
Q

a person or thing that is likely to cause harm

a threat or danger

53
Q

barring

A

except for, if not for

e.g. barring accident, we should win

54
Q

except for, if not for

e.g. barring accident, we should win

55
Q

concede

A
  1. admit or agree that something is true after first denying or resisting it e.g. i had to concede that i had overreacted
  2. surrender or yield a possession, right or privilege e.g. the emperor conceded the throne to her
56
Q
  1. admit or agree that something is true after first denying or resisting it
  2. surrender or yield a possession, right or privilege
57
Q

haggard

A

exhausted and worn out from an ordeal or from fatigue, worry or suffering e.g. she looked pale and haggard after spending one week lost at sea

58
Q

exhausted and worn out from an ordeal or from fatigue, worry or suffering

59
Q

relentless

A

unceasingly intense e.g. relentless sun in the desert

persistent while being strict and determined

60
Q

unceasingly intense

persistent while being strict and determined

A

relentless

61
Q

stoic

A
  1. calm and without any emotion
  2. enduring pain or hardship without complaining, unaffected by pleasure or pain
  3. someone indifferent to emotions
62
Q
  1. calm and without any emotion
  2. enduring pain or hardship without complaining, unaffected by pleasure or pain
  3. someone indifferent to emotions
63
Q

apt

A
  1. appropriate and suitable in the circumstances
  2. having a tendency e.g. she was apt to be swayed by irrational thoughts
  3. quick to learn e.g. she proved to be an apt pupil
64
Q
  1. appropriate and suitable in the circumstances
  2. having a tendency to do something
  3. quick to learn
65
Q

concoction

A
  1. a curious mixture of various elements or ingredients e.g. the facade was a strange concoction of Baroque and Surrealism
  2. an elaborate and fabricated story e.g. the unbelievable story to explain unfinished homework
66
Q
  1. a curious mixture of various elements or ingredients e.g. the facade was a strange concoction of Baroque and Surrealism
  2. an elaborate and fabricated story e.g. the unbelievable story to explain unfinished homework
A

concoction

67
Q

elaborate

A
  1. detailed and complex

2. lengthy and exaggerated e.g. he made an elaborate pretence of yawning

68
Q
  1. detailed and complex

2. lengthy and exaggerated

69
Q

unfazed

A

not disconcerted or unsettled

e.g. the protesters were unfazed by the prospect of arrest

70
Q

not disconcerted or unsettled e.g. Cornelius Fudge’s facial expression

71
Q

portly (of a man)

A

(nicer way to say) fat

like plump, heavy or stout

72
Q

nicer way to say fat

A

portly
heavy
plump
stout

73
Q

careworn

A

tired and unhappy because of prolonged worry or suffering e.g. an expression

74
Q

tired and unhappy because of prolonged worry or suffering

75
Q

to bode

A

bode suggests or foreknowledges something in the future. Something bodes well when the clues or signs imply a favorable outcome. Bode a disaster, bode a good fortune.
bode well / bode ill

76
Q

suggests, imply or foreknowledge something in the future.

A

to bode

bode well / bode ill

77
Q

convey

A
  1. communicate a message e.g. convey my kind regards to them

2. make an idea or feeling known and understandable e.g. something has never been properly conveyed in films

78
Q
  1. communicate a message

2. make an idea known and understandable

79
Q

dumbstruck

A

so shocked and surprised as to be unable to speak

80
Q

so shocked and surprised as to be unable to speak

A

dumbstruck

81
Q

to bleat

[reporting verb]

A

speak or complain in a weak, whining (complaining) way

82
Q

petulant

A

irritable in a childish way with the anger unjustified

83
Q

irritable in a childish way with the anger unjustified

84
Q

[reporting verb] speak or complain in a weak, whining (complaining) way

85
Q

chortle

A

laugh in a noisy and gleeful and partly muffled way, louder than giggle,
combo of chuckle and snort

86
Q

laugh in a noisy and gleeful and partly muffled way louder than giggle,
combo of chuckle and snort

87
Q

agitated

A

nervous and troubled

88
Q

nervous and troubled

89
Q

fluster

A

agitate or confuse someone e.g. remark that your friends socks do not match on the day of their biggest presentation

90
Q

agitate or confuse someone

91
Q

ruthless

A

showing no mercy, pity or compassion

92
Q

showing no mercy, pity or compassion

93
Q

grapple

A
  1. engage in a close fight without weapons
    - wrestle
  2. struggle with
94
Q

pent-up

A
  1. (of emotions or energy) unable to be expressed or released e.g. pent-up frustrations
  2. confined, restrained or held-back
95
Q
  1. (of emotions or energy) unable to be expressed or released
  2. confined, restrained or held-back
96
Q

cull

A
  1. reduce in quantity by selective slaughter (animals)

2. obtain from various sources, select from a larger quantity e.g. anecdotes culled from Greek literature

97
Q
  1. reduce in quantity by selective slaughter (animals)

2. obtain from various sources, select from a larger quantity

98
Q

trade-off

A

a compromise or balance achieved between two desirable but incompatible features

99
Q

a compromise or balance achieved between two desirable but incompatible features

100
Q

heinous

[hey-ns]

A

(of a person or a wrongful act, especially crime) utterly odious or wicked

101
Q

(of a person or a wrongful act, especially crime) utterly odious or wicked

A

heinous

[hey-ns]

102
Q

rigorous

A

extremely thorough and careful

103
Q

extremely thorough and careful

104
Q

expendable

A

of little or no importance and therefore able to be abandoned or destroyed

105
Q

of little or no importance and therefore able to be abandoned or destroyed

A

expendable

English (13 decks)

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