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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
1. sleep, doze | 2. a dormant, quiet state
(v./n.) slumber
26
searing
extremely hot or intense | sear = burn, experienced as sudden burning
27
extremely hot or intense
searing
28
jeer
make loud mocking remarks especially in loud voice | to laugh at in a mean way
29
make loud mocking remarks especially in loud voice | to laugh at in a mean way
jeer
30
(v./n.) taunt
a remark made in order to provoke, anger or wound someone | to provoke with insulting remarks
31
a remark made in order to provoke, anger or wound someone | to provoke with insulting remarks
taunt
32
to tamper
interfere, meddle or mess with something usually secretly or dishonestly e.g. someone has tampered with the documents on my desk
33
interfere, meddle or mess with something usually secretly or dishonestly
to tamper
34
repent
feel sorry and express regret for your doings
35
trite
lacking originality or freshness | dull on account of overuse e.g. action in Hollywood movies
36
lacking originality or freshness | dull on account of overuse
trite
37
strain
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
38
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
strain
39
strained
1. tense, uneasy, showing signs or nervous tiredness e.g. his strained face 2. forced rather than spontaneous e.g. her strained laugh
40
1. tense, uneasy, showing signs or nervous tiredness | 2. forced rather than spontaneous
strained
41
adjourn
break off or postpone (a meeting, jury, legal case, a session or a game) with the intention of resuming it later
42
break off or postpone (a meeting, jury, legal case, a session or a game) with the intention of resuming it later
adjourn
43
wager
(more formal) to bet / a bet
44
(more formal) to bet / a bet
wager
45
stride
1. walk with long, decisive steps e.g. Marcia Overstrand strode across the marshes 2. a long decisive step
46
1. walk with long, decisive steps | 2. a long decisive step
stride
47
compel
force or drive someone to do something
48
force or drive someone to do something
compel
49
plea
an urgent and emotional or begging request
50
an urgent and emotional or begging request
plea
51
menace
a person or thing that is likely to cause harm | a threat or danger
52
a person or thing that is likely to cause harm | a threat or danger
menace
53
barring
except for, if not for | e.g. barring accident, we should win
54
except for, if not for | e.g. barring accident, we should win
barring
55
concede
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
1. admit or agree that something is true after first denying or resisting it 2. surrender or yield a possession, right or privilege
concede
57
haggard
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
exhausted and worn out from an ordeal or from fatigue, worry or suffering
haggard
59
relentless
unceasingly intense e.g. relentless sun in the desert | persistent while being strict and determined
60
unceasingly intense | persistent while being strict and determined
relentless
61
stoic
1. calm and without any emotion 2. enduring pain or hardship without complaining, unaffected by pleasure or pain 3. someone indifferent to emotions
62
1. calm and without any emotion 2. enduring pain or hardship without complaining, unaffected by pleasure or pain 3. someone indifferent to emotions
stoic
63
apt
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
1. appropriate and suitable in the circumstances 2. having a tendency to do something 3. quick to learn
apt
65
concoction
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
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
concoction
67
elaborate
1. detailed and complex | 2. lengthy and exaggerated e.g. he made an elaborate pretence of yawning
68
1. detailed and complex | 2. lengthy and exaggerated
elaborate
69
unfazed
not disconcerted or unsettled | e.g. the protesters were unfazed by the prospect of arrest
70
not disconcerted or unsettled e.g. Cornelius Fudge's facial expression
unfazed
71
portly (of a man)
(nicer way to say) fat | like plump, heavy or stout
72
nicer way to say fat
portly heavy plump stout
73
careworn
tired and unhappy because of prolonged worry or suffering e.g. an expression
74
tired and unhappy because of prolonged worry or suffering
careworn
75
to bode
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
suggests, imply or foreknowledge something in the future.
to bode | bode well / bode ill
77
convey
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
1. communicate a message | 2. make an idea known and understandable
convey
79
dumbstruck
so shocked and surprised as to be unable to speak
80
so shocked and surprised as to be unable to speak
dumbstruck
81
to bleat | [reporting verb]
speak or complain in a weak, whining (complaining) way
82
petulant
irritable in a childish way with the anger unjustified
83
irritable in a childish way with the anger unjustified
petulant
84
[reporting verb] speak or complain in a weak, whining (complaining) way
to bleat
85
chortle
laugh in a noisy and gleeful and partly muffled way, louder than giggle, combo of chuckle and snort
86
laugh in a noisy and gleeful and partly muffled way louder than giggle, combo of chuckle and snort
chortle
87
agitated
nervous and troubled
88
nervous and troubled
agitated
89
fluster
agitate or confuse someone e.g. remark that your friends socks do not match on the day of their biggest presentation
90
agitate or confuse someone
fluster
91
ruthless
showing no mercy, pity or compassion
92
showing no mercy, pity or compassion
ruthless
93
grapple
1. engage in a close fight without weapons - wrestle 2. struggle with
94
pent-up
1. (of emotions or energy) unable to be expressed or released e.g. pent-up frustrations 2. confined, restrained or held-back
95
1. (of emotions or energy) unable to be expressed or released 2. confined, restrained or held-back
pent-up
96
cull
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
1. reduce in quantity by selective slaughter (animals) | 2. obtain from various sources, select from a larger quantity
cull
98
trade-off
a compromise or balance achieved between two desirable but incompatible features
99
a compromise or balance achieved between two desirable but incompatible features
trade-off
100
heinous | [hey-ns]
(of a person or a wrongful act, especially crime) utterly odious or wicked
101
(of a person or a wrongful act, especially crime) utterly odious or wicked
heinous | [hey-ns]
102
rigorous
extremely thorough and careful
103
extremely thorough and careful
rigorous
104
expendable
of little or no importance and therefore able to be abandoned or destroyed
105
of little or no importance and therefore able to be abandoned or destroyed
expendable

English (13 decks)

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