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Locked Tomb Flashcards

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1
Q

Fetid/foetid

A

adjective
smelling extremely unpleasant.
“the fetid water of the marsh”

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2
Q

Indubitable

A

adjective
impossible to doubt; unquestionable.
“an indubitable truth”

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3
Q

Indelible

A

adjective
(of ink or a pen) making marks that cannot be removed.
“an indelible marker pen”
Similar:
ineradicable
inerasable
ineffaceable
unexpungeable
indestructible
permanent
lasting
persisting
enduring
stubborn
ingrained
unfading
imperishable
unforgettable
haunting
memorable
not/never to be forgotten
Opposite:
erasable
not able to be forgotten.
“the story made an indelible impression on me”

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4
Q

Plenary

A

adjective
1.
(of a meeting) to be attended by all participants at a conference or assembly, who otherwise meet in smaller groups.
“the House is expected to bring the legislative procedures bill to a plenary meeting”
Similar:
full
fully constituted
general
complete
entire
open
2.
unqualified; absolute.
“the disciplinary committee will have plenary powers”
Similar:
unconditional
unlimited
unrestricted
unqualified
absolute
complete
sweeping
comprehensive
plenipotentiary
noun
a meeting or session attended by all participants at a conference or assembly.
“working parties would report back to the plenary with recommendations”

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5
Q

Succinct

A

adjective
(especially of something written or spoken) briefly and clearly expressed.
“use short, succinct sentences”

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6
Q

Vitiate

A

transitive verb
1
: to make faulty or defective : IMPAIR
the comic impact is vitiated by obvious haste
—William Styron
2
: to debase in moral or aesthetic status
a mind vitiated by prejudice
3
: to make ineffective
fraud vitiates a contract

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7
Q

Tremulous

A

adjective
shaking or quivering slightly.
“Barbara’s voice was tremulous”
Similar:
shaky
trembling
shaking
unsteady
quavering
wavering
quivering
quivery
quaking
nervous
weak
trembly
all of a tremble
Opposite:
steady
timid; nervous.
“he gave a tremulous smile”

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8
Q

Coruscating

A

adjective
adjective: coruscating
1.
flashing; sparkling.
“a coruscating kaleidoscope of colours”
Similar:
sparkling
shining
bright
brilliant
gleaming
glittering
twinkling
scintillating
flashing
shimmering
shimmery
scintillant
Opposite:
dull
matte
brilliant or striking in content or style.
“the play’s coruscating wit”
Similar:
brilliant
dazzling
scintillating
exhilarating
stimulating
invigorating
witty
clever
vivacious
sparkling
effervescent
lively
vibrant
animated
ebullient
bright
impressive
accomplished
ingenious
masterly
imposing
inventive
creative
remarkable
extraordinary
outstanding
exceptional
staggering
incredible
amazing
astonishing
phenomenal
breathtaking
thrilling
exciting
Opposite:
boring
dull
pedestrian
2.
severely critical; scathing.
“his coruscating attack on the Prime Minister”
coruscate
verbLITERARY
gerund or present participle: coruscating
(of light) flash or sparkle.
“the light was coruscating through the walls”

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9
Q

Facile

A

adjective
adjective: facile
1.
ignoring the true complexities of an issue; superficial.
“facile generalizations”
Similar:
simplistic
superficial
oversimple
oversimplified
schematic
black and white
shallow
pat
glib
slick
jejune
naive
dime-store
bubblegum
Opposite:
thorough
profound
(of a person) having a superficial or simplistic knowledge or approach.
“a man of facile and shallow intellect”
2.
(especially of success in sport) easily achieved; effortless.
“a facile seven-lengths victory”

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10
Q

Salient

A

adjective
adjective: salient
1.
most noticeable or important.
“it succinctly covered all the salient points of the case”
Similar:
important
main
principal
major
chief
primary
notable
noteworthy
outstanding
arresting
conspicuous
striking
noticeable
obvious
remarkable
signal
prominent
pronounced
predominant
dominant
key
crucial
vital
essential
basic
staple
critical
pivotal
prime
central
focal
paramount
Opposite:
unimportant
inconspicuous
prominent; conspicuous.
“the salient object in my view”
2.
(of an angle) pointing outwards.
3.
HERALDRY
(of an animal) standing on its hind legs with the forepaws raised, as if leaping.
noun
noun: salient; plural noun: salients
a piece of land or section of fortification that juts out to form an angle.
an outward bulge in a line of military attack or defence.
“this decisive battle broke the Germans’ ability to attack any further into the Kursk salient”

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11
Q

Pannier

A

noun
noun: pannier; plural noun: panniers
1.
a basket, especially one of a pair carried by a beast of burden.
each of a pair of bags or boxes fitted on either side of the rear wheel of a bicycle or motorcycle.
2.
HISTORICAL
part of a skirt looped up round the hips.
a frame supporting a pannier of a skirt.

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12
Q

Pageantry

A

noun
elaborate display or ceremony.
“the pageantry of George V’s jubilee”

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13
Q

Fractious

A

adjective
(typically of children) irritable and quarrelsome.
“they fight and squabble like fractious children”
Similar:
grumpy
grouchy
crotchety
in a (bad) mood
cantankerous
bad-tempered
ill-tempered
ill-natured
ill-humoured
peevish
cross
disagreeable
pettish
irritable
irascible
tetchy
testy
curmudgeonly
crabbed
crabby
waspish
prickly
peppery
touchy
scratchy
crusty
splenetic
shrewish
short-tempered
hot-tempered
quick-tempered
dyspeptic
choleric
bilious
liverish
cross-grained
as cross as two sticks
snappish
snappy
chippy
on a short fuse
short-fused
shirty
stroppy
narky
ratty
eggy
like a bear with a sore head
cranky
ornery
peckish
soreheaded
snaky
waxy
miffy
Opposite:
contented
affable
(of a group or organization) difficult to control; unruly.
“King Malcolm struggled to unite his fractious kingdom”

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14
Q

Tergiversation

A

Noun
1
: evasion of straightforward action or clear-cut statement : EQUIVOCATION
2
: desertion of a cause, position, party, or faith

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15
Q

Efficacy

A

nounFORMAL
the ability to produce a desired or intended result.
“there is little information on the efficacy of this treatment”

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16
Q

Asperity

A

noun
harshness of tone or manner.
“he pointed this out with some asperity”
Similar:
harshness
sharpness
roughness
abrasiveness
severity
acerbity
astringency
bitterness
acidity
tartness
edge
acrimony
virulence
sarcasm
Opposite:
mildness
harsh qualities or conditions.
plural noun: asperities
“the asperities of a harsh and divided society”

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17
Q

Interment

A

noun
the burial of a corpse in a grave or tomb, typically with funeral rites.
“the day of interment”

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18
Q

Allusive

A

adjective
using or containing suggestion rather than explicit mention.
“allusive references to the body”

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19
Q

Caul

A

noun
noun: caul; plural noun: cauls
1.
the amniotic membrane enclosing a fetus.
part of the caul occasionally found on a child’s head at birth, thought to bring good luck.
2.
HISTORICAL
a woman’s close-fitting indoor headdress or hairnet.
3.
ANATOMY
the omentum.

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20
Q

Serried

A

adjective
(of rows of people or things) standing close together.
“serried ranks of soldiers”

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21
Q

Interstice

A

noun
an intervening space, especially a very small one.
“sunshine filtered through the interstices of the arching trees”

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22
Q

Encore

A

noun
noun: encore; plural noun: encores
a repeated or additional performance of an item at the end of a concert, as called for by an audience.
“everybody got up on stage for the final encore”
Similar:
repeat performance
extra performance
additional performance
replay
repeat
repetition
curtain call
exclamation
exclamation: encore
again! (as called by an audience at the end of a concert).
“it was Louis who shouted ‘Bravo! Encore!’”
verb
verb: encore; 3rd person present: encores; past tense: encored; past participle: encored; gerund or present participle: encoring
call for a repeated or additional performance of (an item) at the end of a concert.
“several arias were encored”
(of a performer) give an encore.
“he encored with a solo number”

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23
Q

Piquancy

A

noun
a pleasantly sharp and appetizing flavour; spiciness.
“the tangy soy dip gave them a slightly Asian piquancy”
Similar:
spiciness
tang
spice
tastiness
savouriness
pungency
edge
sharpness
tartness
pepperiness
saltiness
bite
zest
zing
kick
punch
relish
interest
fascination
excitement
vigour
vitality
liveliness
spirit
colour
sparkle
raciness
provocativeness
pizzazz
the quality of being pleasantly stimulating or exciting; interest.
“the tragedy only adds piquancy to the tale”

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24
Q

Hummock

A

noun
a hillock or knoll.
Similar:
hillock
hump
mound
knoll
tump
prominence
eminence
elevation
rise
dune
barrow
tumulus
knob
koppie
knap
monticle
a hump or ridge in an ice field.
NORTH AMERICAN
a piece of forested ground rising above a marsh.

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25
Q

Prurient

A

adjective
having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters, especially the sexual activity of others.
“she’d been the subject of much prurient curiosity”

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26
Q

Bilious

A

adjective
adjective: bilious
1.
affected by or associated with nausea or vomiting.
“a bilious attack”
Similar:
nauseous
sick
queasy
nauseated
green around the gills
liverish
barfy
qualmish
(of a colour) lurid or sickly.
“a bilious yellow hue”
Similar:
lurid
garish
loud
violent
sickly
nauseating
distasteful
unattractive
Opposite:
muted
subtle
2.
spiteful; bad-tempered.
“his bilious temperament”
Similar:
bad-tempered
irritable
irascible
tetchy
testy
grumpy
grouchy
crotchety
cantankerous
curmudgeonly
ill-tempered
ill-natured
ill-humoured
peevish
fractious
disagreeable
pettish
crabbed
crabby
waspish
prickly
peppery
touchy
scratchy
crusty
splenetic
shrewish
short-tempered
hot-tempered
quick-tempered
dyspeptic
choleric
liverish
cross-grained
cranky
ornery
Opposite:
good-humoured
3.
PHYSIOLOGY
relating to bile.

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27
Q

Sobriquet

A

noun
a person’s nickname.
“she was a vast and haughty person who answered to the sobriquet ‘Duchesse’”

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28
Q

Tawdry

A

adjective
showy but cheap and of poor quality.
“tawdry jewellery”
Similar:
gaudy
flashy
showy
garish
loud
tasteless
vulgar
brash
crass
trashy
junky
cheap
cheap and nasty
cheapjack
paltry
worthless
shoddy
shabby
meretricious
plastic
tinselly
gimcrack
Brummagem
flash
tatty
tacky
kitsch
rubbishy
twopenny-halfpenny
Opposite:
tasteful
refined
sordid or unpleasant.
“the tawdry business of politics”
nounARCHAIC
noun: tawdry
cheap and gaudy finery.

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29
Q

Effluent

A

noun
liquid waste or sewage discharged into a river or the sea.
“industrial effluent”

30
Q

Importunate

A

adjective
persistent, especially to the point of annoyance.
“importunate creditors”

31
Q

Skein

A

noun
noun: skein; plural noun: skeins
1.
a length of thread or yarn, loosely coiled and knotted.
an element that forms part of a complex or complicated whole.
“he weaves together the skeins of philosophy, ecology, folklore, and history”
2.
a flock of wild geese or swans in flight, typically in a V-shaped formation.

32
Q

Tine

A

noun
a prong or sharp point, such as that on a fork or antler.

33
Q

Execrable

A

adjective
extremely bad or unpleasant.
“execrable cheap wine”

34
Q

Oleaginous

A

adjective
1.
rich in, covered with, or producing oil; oily.
“fabrics would quickly become filthy in this oleaginous kingdom”
2.
exaggeratedly and distastefully complimentary; obsequious.
“candidates made oleaginous speeches praising government policies”

35
Q

Facetious

A

adjective
treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humour; flippant.
“a facetious remark”

36
Q

Ossuary

A

noun
a container or room in which the bones of dead people are placed.

37
Q

Tesselate

A

verb
decorate or cover (a surface) with a pattern of repeated shapes, especially polygons, that fit together closely without gaps or overlapping.
“the pavement is tessellated with slabs of white and rose-coloured marble”
(of shapes, especially polygons) fit together closely without gaps or overlapping.
“hexagons are strong, symmetrical, and tessellate perfectly”

38
Q

Hauteur

A

noun
proud haughtiness of manner.
“she swept into the room with formidable hauteur”

39
Q

Nacreous

A

adjective
consisting of or resembling mother-of-pearl.

having a play of lustrous rainbow colors.

40
Q

Rosary

A

noun
(in the Roman Catholic Church) a form of devotion in which five (or fifteen) decades of Hail Marys are repeated, each decade preceded by an Our Father and followed by a Glory Be.
a string of beads for keeping count in a rosary or in the devotions of some other religions, in Roman Catholic use 55 or 165 in number.
“she is telling her rosary”
a book containing a rosary.

41
Q

Deliquesce

A

verb
(of organic matter) become liquid, typically during decomposition.
CHEMISTRY
(of a solid) become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air.

42
Q

Manger

A

noun
a long trough from which horses or cattle feed.

43
Q

Expurgate

A

verb
remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from (a text or account).
“editors heavily expurgated the novel before its initial publication”

44
Q

Fervid

A

adjective
1.
intensely enthusiastic or passionate, especially to an excessive degree.
“his fervid protestations of love”
Similar:
fervent
ardent
passionate
impassioned
intense
vehement
heated
wholehearted
full-hearted
heartfelt
deeply felt
deep-seated
deep-rooted
profound
emotional
sincere
earnest
eager
avid
enthusiastic
perfervid
passional
Opposite:
half-hearted
2.
LITERARY
hot, burning, or glowing.

45
Q

Gaily

A

adverb
adverb: gaily
1.
in a cheerful or light-hearted way.
“he waved gaily to the crowd”
Similar:
merrily
cheerfully
cheerily
happily
joyfully
joyously
light-heartedly
blithely
jauntily
gleefully
with pleasure
Opposite:
miserably
without thinking of the consequences.
“she plunged gaily into speculation on the stock market”
Similar:
heedlessly
unthinkingly
thoughtlessly
without thinking
without care
without consideration
casually
nonchalantly
airily
breezily
lightly
uncaringly
Opposite:
anxiously
2.
with a bright or attractive appearance.
“gaily coloured sailing boats”

46
Q

Ablution

A

nounFORMAL•HUMOROUS
an act of washing oneself.
“the women performed their ablutions”
Similar:
washing
cleansing
bathing
showering
scrubbing
purification
wash
bath
shower
toilet
soak
dip
douche
lavage
lavation
a ceremonial act of washing parts of the body or sacred containers.
BRITISH
(in army slang) a building or room containing washing facilities and toilets.

47
Q

Targe

A

noun
archaic term for target (sense 2 of the noun).

DEROGATORY•SCOTTISH
a formidably aggressive older woman.
“she was an old targe of a schoolteacher”

48
Q

Seneschal

A

noun
1.
HISTORICAL
the steward or major-domo of a medieval great house.
2.
HISTORICAL
a governor or other administrative or judicial officer.

49
Q

Gyre

A

verbLITERARY
whirl or gyrate.
“a swarm of ghosts gyred around him”
noun
a spiral or vortex.

50
Q

Dolorous

A

adjectiveLITERARY
feeling or expressing great sorrow or distress.
“a dolorous and repetitive tale of atrocity”

51
Q

Inapposite

A

adjective
out of place; inappropriate.
“the Shakespearean allusions are inapposite”

52
Q

Numinous

A

adjective
having a strong religious or spiritual quality; indicating or suggesting the presence of a divinity.
“the strange, numinous beauty of this ancient landmark”

53
Q

Soporific

A

adjective
adjective: soporific
tending to induce drowsiness or sleep.
“the motion of the train had a somewhat soporific effect”
sleepy or drowsy.
“some medicine made her soporific”
tediously boring or monotonous.
“a libel trial is in large parts intensely soporific”
Similar:
sleep-inducing
somnolent
sedative
calmative
tranquillizing
narcotic
opiate
drowsy
sleepy
somniferous
boring
dull
deadly dull
monotonous
hypnotic
somnific
Opposite:
invigorating
noun
noun: soporific; plural noun: soporifics
a drug or other substance that induces drowsiness or sleep.

54
Q

Waspish

A

adjective
readily expressing anger or irritation.
“he had a waspish tongue”

55
Q

Supination

A

noun

1
: rotation of the forearm and hand so that the palm faces forward or upward
also : a corresponding movement of the foot and leg in which the foot rolls outward with an elevated arch
2
: the position resulting from supination

56
Q

Priggish

A

adjective
self-righteously moralistic and superior.
“a priggish little pedant”

57
Q

Tetchy

A

adjective
irritable and bad-tempered.
“she had always been tetchy and impatient with him”

58
Q

Reproof

A

noun
noun: reproof; plural noun: reproofs
an expression of blame or disapproval.
“she welcomed him with a mild reproof for leaving her alone”

verb
verb: reproof; 3rd person present: reproofs; past tense: reproofed; past participle: reproofed; gerund or present participle: reproofing
1.
BRITISH
make (a garment) waterproof again.
2.
make a fresh proof of (printed matter).

59
Q

Susurrus

A

noun LITERARY
whispering or rustling.
“the susurration of the river”

60
Q

Piebald

A

adjective
(of a horse) having irregular patches of two colours, typically black and white.
Similar:
black and white
brown and white
pied
skewbald
dappled
brindled
brindle
spotted
marked
mottled
speckled
flecked
patchy
blotchy
blotched
variegated
multicoloured
multicolour
particoloured
tabby
pinto
marled
jaspé
noun
a piebald horse.

61
Q

Benighted

A

adjective
1.
in a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance.
“they saw themselves as bringers of culture to poor benighted peoples”
Similar:
ignorant
unenlightened
uneducated
unschooled
untutored
illiterate
unlettered
unlearned
unscholarly
unread
uninformed
backward
simple
primitive
uncivilized
unsophisticated
unrefined
uncouth
unpolished
uncultured
philistine
barbarian
barbaric
barbarous
savage
crude
coarse
rough
vulgar
gross
yobbish
nescient
rude
Opposite:
enlightened
2.
overtaken by darkness.
“a storm developed and we were forced to wait benighted near the summit”

62
Q

Prolix

A

adjective
(of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy.
“he found the narrative too prolix and discursive”

63
Q

Bockety

A

adjective (Ireland)
unsteady, wobbly, tottering, rickety (likely to fall over).
Don’t sit on that chair, it has bockety legs.
The baby smiled happily as he was pushed along in the bockety pram.

64
Q

Serrid

A

adjective
(of rows of people or things) standing close together.
“serried ranks of soldiers”

65
Q

Timbrel

A

nounARCHAIC
a tambourine or similar instrument.

66
Q

Querulous

A

adjective
complaining in a rather petulant or whining manner.
“she became querulous and demanding”

67
Q

Pannier

A

noun
noun: pannier; plural noun: panniers
1.
a basket, especially one of a pair carried by a beast of burden.
each of a pair of bags or boxes fitted on either side of the rear wheel of a bicycle or motorcycle.
2.
HISTORICAL
part of a skirt looped up round the hips.
a frame supporting a pannier of a skirt.

68
Q

Apse

A

noun
1.
a large semicircular or polygonal recess in a church, arched or with a domed roof and typically at the church’s eastern end.
2.
another term for apsis.

69
Q

Chevet

A

nounARCHITECTURE
(in large churches) an apse with an ambulatory giving access behind the high altar to a series of chapels set in bays.

70
Q

Hoary

A

adjective
1.
greyish white.
“hoary cobwebs”

(of a person) old and having grey or white hair.
“a hoary old fellow with a face of white stubble”

used in names of animals and plants covered with whitish fur or short hairs, e.g. hoary bat, hoary cress.
2.
overused and unoriginal; trite.
“the hoary old adage often used by Fleet Street editors”

71
Q

Orison

A

nounARCHAIC
a prayer.

Vocabulary From Books (23 decks)

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