N,O Flashcards
1
Q
nadir
A
lowest point (Eg: Although few people realized it- the Dow-Jones averages had reached their nadir and would soon begin an )
2
Q
naivete
A
quality of being unsophisticated (Eg: I cannot believe that such naivete is unassumed in a person of her age and experience. )
3
Q
narcissist
A
conceited person (Eg: A narcissist is his own best friend. )
4
Q
narrative
A
related to telling a story (Eg: A born teller of tales- Olsen used her impressive narrative skills to advantage in her story ‘‘I Stand Here )
5
Q
nascent
A
incipient; coming into being (Eg: If we could identify these revolutionary movements in their nascent state- we would be able to eliminate )
6
Q
natation
A
swimming (Eg: The Red Cross emphasizes the need for courses in natation. )
7
Q
natty
A
neatly or smartly dresssed (Eg: Priding himself on being a natty dresser- the gangster Bugsy Siegel collected a wardrobe of imported suits )
8
Q
nauseate
A
cause to become sick; fill with disgust (Eg: The foul smells began to nauseate him. )
9
Q
nautical
A
pertaining to ships or navigation (Eg: The Maritime Museum contains many models of clipper ships- logbooks- anchors and many other items of )
10
Q
nebulous
A
vague; hazy; cloudy (Eg: She had only a nebulous memory of her grandmother’s face. )
11
Q
necromancy
A
black magic; dealings with the dead (Eg: Because he was able to perform feats of necromancy- the natives thought he was in league with the devil. )
12
Q
nefarious
A
very wicked (Eg: He was universally feared because of his many nefarious deeds. )
13
Q
negation
A
denial (Eg: I must accept his argument since you have been unable to present any negation of his evidence. )
14
Q
negligence
A
carelessness (Eg: negligence can prove costly near complicated machinery. )
15
Q
negligible
A
so small- trifling- or unimportant as to be easily disregarded (Eg: Because the damage to his car had been negligible- Michael decided he wouldn’t bother to report the )
16
Q
nemesis
A
revenging agent (Eg: Captain Bligh vowed to be Christian’s nemesis. )
17
Q
neologism
A
new or newly coined word or phrase (Eg: As we invent new techniques and professions- we must also invent neologisms such as ‘‘microcomputer’’ )
18
Q
neophyte
A
recent convert; beginner (Eg: This monuntain slope contains slides that will challenge esperts as well as neophytes. )
19
Q
nepotism
A
favoritism (to a relative) (Eg: John left his position with the company because he felt that advancement was based on nepotism rather )
20
Q
nether
A
lower (Eg: Tradition locates hell in the nether regions. )
21
Q
nettle
A
annoy; vex (Eg: Do not let him nettle you with his sarcastic remarks. )
22
Q
nexus
A
connection (Eg: I fail to see the nexus that binds these two widely separated events. )
23
Q
nib
A
beak; pen point (Eg: The nibs of fountain pens often become clotted and corroded. )
24
Q
nicety
A
precision; minute distinction (Eg: I cannot distinguish between such niceties of reasoning. )
25
niggardly
meanly stingy; parsimonious (Eg: The niggardly pittance the widow receives from the government cannot keep her from poverty. )
26
niggle
spend too much time on minor points; carp (Eg: Let's not niggle over details. )
27
nihilism
denial of traditional values; total skepticism (Eg: nihilism holds that existence has no meaning. )
28
nirvana
Buddihist teachings- the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an (Eg: impersonal beatitude )
29
nocturnal
done at night (Eg: Mr. Jones obtained a watchdog to prevent the nocturnal raids on his chicken coops. )
30
noisome
foul smelling; unwholesome (Eg: I never could stand the noisome atmosphere surrounding the slaughter houses. )
31
nomadic
wandering (Eg: Several nomadic tribes of Indians would hunt in this area each year. )
32
nomenclature
terminology; system of names (Eg: She struggled to master scientific nomenclature. )
33
nominal
in name only; trifling (Eg: He offered to drive her to the airport for only a nominal fee. )
34
nonchalance
indifference; lack of interest (Eg: Few people could understand how he could listen to the news of the tragedy with such nonchalance; the )
35
noncommittal
neutral; unpledged; undecided (Eg: We were annoyed by his noncommittal reply for we had been led to expect definite assurances of his )
36
nondescript
undistinctive; ordinary (Eg: The private detective was a short- nondescript fellow with no ourstanding features- the sort of person one )
37
nonentity
person of no importance; nonexistence (Eg: Don't dismiss John as a nonentity; in his quiet way- he's very important to the firm. )
38
nonplus
bring to a halt by confusion; perplex (Eg: Jack's uncharacteristic rudeness nonplussed Jill- leaving her uncertain how to react. )
39
nostalgia
homesickness; longing for the past (Eg: The first settlers found so much work to do that they had little time for nostalgia. )
40
nostrum
questionable medicine (Eg: No quack selling nostrums is going to cheat me. )
41
notoriety
disrepute; ill fame (Eg: To the starlet- any publicity was good publicity: if she couldn't have a good reputation- she'd settle for )
42
novelty
something new; newness (Eg: )
43
novice
beginner (Eg: Even a novice can do good work if he follows these simple directions. )
44
noxious
harmful (Eg: We must trace the source of these noxious gases before they asphyxiate us. )
45
nuance
shade of difference in meaning or color (Eg: The unskilled eye of the layperson has difficulty in dicerning the nuances of color in the paintings. )
46
nubile
marrigeable (Eg: Mrs. Bennet- in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- was worried about finding suitable husbands for her )
47
nugatory
futile; worthless (Eg: This agreement is nugatory for no court will enforce it. )
48
nullify
to make invalid (Eg: Once the contract was nullified- it no longer had any legal force. )
49
numismatist
person who collects coins (Eg: The numismatist had a splendid collection of antique coins. )
50
nuptial
related to marriage (Eg: Their nuptial ceremony was performed in Golden Gate Park. )
51
nurture
nourish; educate; foster (Eg: The head Start program attempts to nurture prekindergarten children so that they will do well when they )
52
nutrient
nourishing substance (Eg: As a budding nutritionist- Kim has learned to design diets that contain foods rich in important basic )
53
oaf
stupid- awkward person (Eg: He called the unfortunate waiter a clumsy oaf. )
54
obdurate
stubborn (Eg: He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints. )
55
obeisance
bow (Eg: She made an obeisance as the king and queen entered the room. )
56
obelisk
tall column tapering and ending in a pyramid (Eg: Cleopatra's Needle is an obelisk in New York City's Central Park. )
57
obese
excessively fat (Eg: It is advisable that obese people try to lose weight. )
58
obfuscate
confuse; muddle (Eg: Do not obfuscate the issues by dragging in irrelevant arguments. )
59
obituary
dealth notice (Eg: I first learned of her death when I read the obituary in the newspaper. )
60
objective
not influenced by emotions; fair (Eg: Even though he was her son- she tried to be objective about his behavior. )
61
objective
goal; aim (Eg: A degree in medicine was her ultimate objective. )
62
obligatory
binding; required (Eg: It is obligatory that books borrowed from the library be returned within two weeks. )
63
oblique
slanting; deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line (Eg: The sergeant ordered the men to march ''oblique right.'' )
64
obliterate
destroy completely (Eg: The tidal wave obliterated several island villages. )
65
oblivion
forgetfulness (Eg: Her work had fallen into a state of oblivion; no one bothered to read them. )
66
obloquy
slander; disgrace; infamy (Eg: I resent the obloquy that you are casting upon my reputation. )
67
obnoxious
offensive (Eg: I find your behavior obnoxious; please mend your ways. )
68
obscure
dark; vague; unclear (Eg: Even after I read the poem a fourth time- its meaning was still obscure. )
69
obscure
darken; make unclear (Eg: At times he seemed purposely to obscure his meaning- preferring mystery to clarity. )
70
obsequious
slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic (Eg: Helen valued people who behaved as if they respected themselves; nothing irritated her more than an )
71
obsequy
funeral ceremony (Eg: Hundreads paid their last respects at his obsequies. )
72
obsession
fixed idea; continued brooding (Eg: This obsession with the supernatural has made him unpopular with his neighbors. )
73
obsidian
clak volcanic rock (Eg: The deposits of obsidian on the mountain slopes were an indiacation that volcano had erupted in ancient )
74
obsolete
outmoded (Eg: ''Hip'' is an obsolete expression; it went out with love beads and tie-dye shirts. )
75
obstetrician
physician specializing in delivery of babies (Eg: Unlike midwives- who care for women giving birth at home- obstetricians generally work in a hospital )
76
obstinate
stubborn (Eg: We tried to persuade him to give up smoking- but he was obstinate and refused to change. )
77
obstreperous
boisterous; noisy (Eg: The crowd became obstreperous and shouted their disapproval of the proposals made by the speaker. )
78
obtrusive
pushing forward (Eg: I found her a very obstrusive person- constantly seeking the center of the stage. )
79
obtuse
blunt; stupid (Eg: Because he was so obtuse- he could not follow the teacher's reasoning and asked foolish questions. )
80
obviate
make unnecessary; get rid of (Eg: I hope this contribution will obviate any need for further collections of funds. )
81
occident
the West (Eg: It will take occident to understand the ways and customs of the orient. )
82
occlude
shut; close (Eg: A blood clot occluded an artery to the heart. )
83
occult
mysterious; secret; supernatural (Eg: The occult rites of the organization were revealed only to members. )
84
oculist
physician who specialized in treatment of the eyes (Eg: In many states- an oculist is the only one who may apply medicinal drops to the eyes for the purpose of )
85
odious
hateful (Eg: I find the task of punishing you most odious. )
86
odium
repugnance; dislike (Eg: I cannot express the odium I feel at your heinous actions. )
87
odoriferous
giving off an odor (Eg: )
88
odorous
having an odor (Eg: This variety of hybrid tea rose is more odorous than the one you have in your garden. )
89
odyssey
long- evenful journey (Eg: The refugee's journey from Cambodia was a terrifying odyssey. )
90
offensive
attacking; insulting; distasteful (Eg: Getting into street brawls is no minor offense for professional boxers- who are required by law to restrict )
91
offhand
casual; done without prior thought (Eg: Expecting to be treated with due propriety by her costs- Great-Aunt Maud was offended by their offhand )
92
officious
meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services (Eg: After her long flight- Jill just wanted to nap- but the officious bellboy was intent on showing her all the )
93
ogle
glance coquettishly at; make eyes at (Eg: Sitting for hours at the sidewalk cafe- the old gentleman would oggle the young girls and recall his youthful )
94
olfactory
concerning the sense of smell (Eg: The olfactory organ is the nose. )
95
oligarchy
government by a few (Eg: The feudal oligarchy was supplanted by an autocracy. )
96
ominous
threatening (Eg: Those clouds are ominous; they suggest that a severe storm is on the way. )
97
omnipotent
all-powerful (Eg: The monarch regarded himself as omnipotent and responsible to no one for his acts. )
98
omnipresent
universally present; ubiquitous (Eg: On Christmas Eve- Santa Claus is omnipotent. )
99
omniscient
all-knowing (Eg: I do not pretend to be omniscient- but I am positive about this fact. )
100
omnivorous
eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything (Eg: Some animals- including humans- are omnivorous and eat both meat and vegetables; others are either )
101
onerous
burdensome (Eg: He asked for an assistant because his work load was too onerous. )
102
onomatopoeia
words formed in imitation of natural sounds (Eg: Words like ''rustle'' and ''gargle'' are illustrations of onomatopoeia. )
103
onslaught
vicious assault (Eg: We suffered many casualties during unexpected onslaght of the enemy troops. )
104
onus
burden; responsibility (Eg: The emperor was spared the onus of signing the surrender papers; instead- he relegated the assignment to )
105
opalescent
iridescent (Eg: The Ancient Mariner admired the opalescent sheen on the water. )
106
opaque
dark; not transparent (Eg: The opaque window kept the sunlight out of the room. )
107
opiate
sleep producer; deadener of pain (Eg: By such opiates- she made the people forget their difficulties and accept their unpleasant circumstances. )
108
opportune
timely; well chosen (Eg: You have come at an opportune moment for I need a new secretary. )
109
opportunist
individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances (Eg: Forget about ethics! He's such an opportunist that he'll vote in favor of any deal that will give him a break. )
110
opprobrium
infamy; vilification (Eg: He refused to defend himself against the slander and opprobrium hurled against him by the newspapers; he )
111
optician
maker and seller of eyeglasses (Eg: The patient took the prescription given him by his oculist to the optician. )
112
optimist
person who looks on the bright side (Eg: The pessimist says the glass is half-empty; the optimist says it is half-full. )
113
optimum
most favorable (Eg: If you wait for the optimum moment to act- you may never begin your project . )
114
optional
not compulsory; left to one's choice (Eg: I was impressed by the range of optional accessories for my microcomputer that were available. )
115
optometrist
one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects (Eg: Although an optometrist is qualified to treat many eye disorders- she may not use medicinesor surgery in )
116
opulence
extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance (Eg: The glitter and opulence of the ballroom took Cinderella's breath away. )
117
opus
work (Eg: )
118
oracular
foretelling; mysterious (Eg: Oedipus could not understand the oracular warning he received. )
119
oratorio
dramatic poem set to music (Eg: The Glee Club decided to present an oratorio during their recital. )
120
ordain
command; arrange; consecrate (Eg: The king ordained that no foreigner should be allowed to enter the city. )
121
ordeal
severe trial or affliction (Eg: Terry Anderson spoke movingly of his long ordeal as a hostage in Lebanon. )
122
ordinance
decree (Eg: Passing a red light is a violation of a city ordinance. )
123
ordination
ceremony conferring holy orders (Eg: The candidate for ordination had to meet with the bishop and the diocean officers before being judged )
124
orient
get one's bearings; adjust (Eg: Philip spent his first day in Denver orienting himself to the city. )
125
orientation
act of finding oneself in society (Eg: Freshman orientation provides the incoming students with an opportunity to learn about their new )
126
orifice
mouthlike opening; small opening (Eg: The Howe Caverns were discovered when someone observed that a cold wind was issuing from an orifice )
127
ornate
excessively or elaborately decorated (Eg: Furniture of the Baroque period can be recognized by its ornate carvings. )
128
ornithologist
scientific student of birds (Eg: Auduborn's drawings of American bird life have been of interest not only to the ornithologists but also to )
129
orthodox
traditional; conservative in belief (Eg: Faced with a problem- he preferred to take an orthodox approach rather than shock anyone. )
130
orthography
correct spelling (Eg: Many of us find English orthography difficult to master because so many of our words are written )
131
oscillate
vibrate pendulumlike; waver (Eg: It is interesting to note how public opinion oscillates between the extremes of optimism and pessimism. )
132
osseus
made of bone; bony (Eg: The hollow ''soft spot'' found at the top of the infant's skull gradually closes as new osseus tissue fills in the )
133
ossify
change or harden into bone (Eg: When he called his opponent a ''bonehead-'' he implied that his adversary's brain had ossified and that he )
134
ostensible
apparent; professed; pretended (Eg: Although the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands- we are really interested in )
135
ostentatious
showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention (Eg: Trump's latest casino in Atlantic City is the most ostentatious gambling place in the East: it easily )
136
ostracize
exclude from public favor; ban (Eg: As soon as the newspapers carried the story of his connection with the criminals- his friends began to )
137
oust
expel; drive out (Eg: The world wondered if Aquino would be able to oust Marcos from office. )
138
outlandish
bizzare; peculiar; unconventional (Eg: The eccentric professor who engages in markedly outlandish behavior is a stock figure in novels with an )
139
outmoded
no longer stylish; old-fahioned (Eg: Unconcerned about keeping in style- Lenore was perfectly happy to wear outmoded clothes as long as they )
140
outskirts
fringes; outer borders (Eg: Living outskirts of Boston- Sarah sometimes felt as if she were cut off from the cultural heart of the city. )
141
outspoken
candid; blunt (Eg: The candidate was too outspoken to be a successful politician; he had not yet learned to weigh his words )
142
outrtip
surpass; outdo (Eg: Jesse Owens easily outstripped his competitors to win the gold metal at the Olympic Games. )
143
outwit
outsmart; trick (Eg: By disguising himself as an old woman- Holmes was able to outwit his pursuers and escape capture. )
144
ovation
enthusiastic applause (Eg: When Placido Domingo came on stage in the first act of La Boheme- he was greeted by a tremendous )
145
overbearing
bossy; arrogant; decisively important (Eg: )
146
overt
open to view (Eg: According to the United States Constitution- a person must commit an overt act before he may be tried for )
147
overweening
presumptuous; arrogant (Eg: His overweening pride in his accomplishments was not justified. )
148
overwrought
extremely agitated; hysterical (Eg: When Kate heard the news of the sudden tragedy- she became too overwrought to work and had to leave )
149
ovoid
egg-shaped (Eg: At Easter she had to cut out hundreds of brightly colored ovoid shapes. )
150
overhaul
thoroughly examine the condition of and repair if necessary (Eg: It is necessary for the engineers of NASA to overhaul the rocket everyday; otherwise- an incident similar to )
