New Words Flashcards
melange
a mixture; a medley:
a mélange of tender vegetables and herbs
quotidian
of or occurring every day; daily:
the car sped noisily off through the quotidian traffic
**ordinary or everyday, especially when mundane: **
his story is an achingly human one, mired in quotidian details Medicine denoting the malignant form of malaria.
rump
a small or unimportant remnant of something originally larger
once the profitable enterprises have been sold the unprofitable rump will be left
sanguine
optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation:
he is sanguine about prospects for the global economy the committee takes a more sanguine view
fob off
deceitfully attempt to satisfy someone by making excuses or giving them something inferior:
secretaries fob off most unwanted callers by saying their boss is in a meeting
**(fob something off on) give (someone) something inferior to or different from what they want: **
he fobbed off the chairmanship on Clifford
apposite
apt in the circumstances or in relation to something:
an apposite quotation
transcendental
of or relating to a spiritual or nonphysical realm:
the transcendental importance of each person’s soul (in Kantian philosophy) presupposed in and necessary to experience; a priori. relating to or denoting Transcendentalism.
bifurcation
the division of something into two branches or parts:
the bifurcation of the profession into social do-gooders and self-serving iconoclasts either of two branches into which something divides: right aortic bifurcation nodes were seen
Pangloss(ian)
noun a person who is optimistic regardless of the circumstances.
staid
sedate, respectable, and unadventurous:
staid law firms
adumbrate
[with object] formal report or represent in outline:
- James Madison adumbrated the necessity that the Senate be somewhat insulated from public passions indicate faintly:*
- the walls were not more than adumbrated by the meager light foreshadow or symbolize: what qualities in Christ are adumbrated by the vine?*
overshadow:
her happy reminiscences were adumbrated by consciousness of something else
obfuscate
render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible:
- the spelling changes will deform some familiar words and obfuscate their etymological origins bewilder (someone):*
- i**t is more likely to obfuscate people than enlighten them*
mendacious
adjective not telling the truth; lying:
mendacious propaganda
specious
superficially plausible, but actually wrong:
- a specious argument misleading in appearance, especially misleadingly attractive:*
- the music trade gives Golden Oldies a specious appearance of novelty*
milieu
a person’s social environment:
he grew up in a military milieu
obtuse
annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand:
he wondered if the doctor was being deliberately obtuse difficult to understand: some of the lyrics are a bit obtuse
eschew
deliberately avoid using; abstain from:
he appealed to the crowd to eschew violence
compendium
a collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject, especially in a book or other publication. a collection of things, especially one systematically gathered: t
he program is a compendium of outtakes from our archives
pluralism
**a condition or system in which two or more states, groups, principles, sources of authority, etc., coexist. a form of society in which the members of minority groups maintain their independent cultural traditions. **
allay
diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry): the report attempted to educate the public and allay fears relieve or alleviate (pain or hunger):
some stale figs partly allayed our hunger
disquiet
a feeling of anxiety or worry:
public disquiet about animal testing
verb [with object] (usually as adjective disquieted) make (someone) worried or anxious:
she felt disquieted at the lack of interest the girl had shown
expositor
a person or thing that explains complicated ideas or theories:
a lucid expositor of difficult ideas
replete
filled or well-supplied with something:
sensational popular fiction, replete with adultery and sudden death very full of or sated by food: I went out into the sun-drenched streets again, replete and relaxed
judicious
having, showing, or done with good judgment or sense:
the efficient and judicious use of pesticides
travesty
a false, absurd, or distorted representation of something:
the absurdly lenient sentence is a travesty of justice
ossify
be stagnant or rigid:
ossified political institutions
chimera
a thing that is hoped or wished for but in fact is illusory or impossible to achieve:
the economic sovereignty you claim to defend is a chimera
inculcate
instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction:
the failures of the churches to inculcate a sense of moral responsibility
teach (someone) an attitude, idea, or habit by persistent instruction:
they will try to inculcate you with a respect for culture
banal
so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring:
songs with banal, repeated words
conflate
combine (two or more texts, ideas, etc.) into one:
the urban crisis conflates a number of different economic and social issues
affine
allowing for or preserving parallel relationships.
rejoinder
a reply, especially a sharp or witty one:
she would have made some cutting rejoinder but none came to mind Law, dated a defendant’s answer to the plaintiff’s reply or replication.
moxie
force of character, determination, or nerve:
when you’ve got moxie, you need the clothes to match
demagogue
a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument.
coup de grâce
a final blow or shot given to kill a wounded person or animal:
- he administered the coup de grâce with a knife an action or event that serves as the culmination of a bad or deteriorating situation: t*
- he epidemic has been the coup de grâce for the airline crisis*
bête noire
a person or thing that one particularly dislikes:
great-uncle Edward was my father’s bête noire
countenance
** person’s face or facial expression:**
his impenetrable eyes and inscrutable countenance give little away
support:
she was giving her specific countenance to the occasion verb [with object] admit as acceptable or possible: he was reluctant to countenance the use of force
parlance
a particular way of speaking or using words, especially a way common to those with a particular job or interest:
dated terms that were once in common parlance medical parlance
bridle
bring (something) under control; curb:
the fact that he was their servant bridled his tongue
show one’s resentment or anger, especially by throwing up the head and drawing in the chin:
ranchers have bridled at excessive federal control
pillory
attack or ridicule publicly: he found himself pilloried by members of his own party
riposte
a quick clever reply to an insult or criticism.
envisage
contemplate or conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event:
the Rome Treaty envisaged free movement across frontiers
form a mental picture of (something not yet existing or known):
he knew what he liked but had difficulty envisaging it
miasma
a highly unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapor:
a miasma of stale alcohol hung around him like marsh gas
an oppressive or unpleasant atmosphere that surrounds or emanates from something:
a miasma of despair rose from the black workshops
penury
extreme poverty; destitution:
he died in a state of virtual penury
dialectic
the art of investigating or discussing the truth of opinions.
inquiry into metaphysical contradictions and their solutions. the existence or action of opposing social forces, concepts, etc..
panacea (pan uh sea uh)
a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases:
the panacea for all corporate ills the time-honored panacea, cod liver oil
stylize(d)
[with object] (usually as adjective stylized) depict or treat in a mannered and nonrealistic style:
gracefully shaped vases decorated with stylized but recognizable white lilies
explicate
[with object] analyze and develop (an idea or principle) in detail:
attempting to explicate the relationship between crime and economic forces analyze (a literary work) in order to reveal its meaning.
mea culpa
an acknowledgment of one’s fault or error:
“Well, whose fault was that?” “Mea culpa!” Frank said
voluble
speaking or spoken incessantly and fluently:
she was as voluble as her husband was silent
locomotion
movement or the ability to move from one place to another:
the muscles that are concerned with locomotion he preferred walking to other forms of locomotion
chimes
be in agreement; harmonize:
his poem chimes with our modern experience of loss
sclerotic
becoming rigid and unresponsive; losing the ability to adapt:
sclerotic management
stultifying
cause to lose enthusiasm and initiative, especially as a result of a tedious or restrictive routine:
the stultifying conformity of provincial life
codified
arrange (laws or rules) into a systematic code:
the statutes have codified certain branches of common law
Profundity
- *great depth of insight or knowledge:**
- the simplicity and profundity of the message*
- *great depth or intensity of a state, quality, or emotion:**
- the profundity of her misery*
nexus
connection or series of connections linking two or more things
the nexus between industry and political power; a nexus of ideas
- *a central or focal point:**
- the nexus of any government in this country is No. 10*
apogee
the highest point in the development of something; a climax or culmination:
a film which was the apogee of German expressionist cinema
obeisance
deferential respect:
they paid obeisance to the Prince
[count noun] a gesture expressing deferential respect, such as a bow or curtsy:
she made a deep obeisance
impute
represent (something, especially something undesirable) as being done or possessed by someone; attribute:
the crimes imputed to Richard
Finance assign (a value) to something by inference from the value of the products or processes to which it contributes:
(as adjective imputed)
recovering the initial outlay plus imputed interest
phalanx
- *(plural phalanxes) a body of troops or police officers standing or moving in close formation:**
- six hundred marchers set off, led by a phalanx of police*
- *a group of people or things of a similar type forming a compact body:**
- he headed past the phalanx of waiting reporters to the line of limos*
gadfly
a person who annoys or criticizes others in order to provoke them into action:
always a gadfly, he attacked intellectual orthodoxies
ramify
form branches or offshoots; branch out:
an elaborate system of canals was built, ramifying throughout the UK
alacrity
brisk and cheerful readiness:
she accepted the invitation with alacrity
Abrogate
repeal or do away with (a law, right, or formal agreement):
a proposal to abrogate temporarily the right to strike
detritus
waste or debris of any kind:
the streets were foul with detritus
gravel, sand, silt, or other material produced by erosion.
organic matter produced by the decomposition of organisms.
numeraire
an item or commodity acting as a measure of value or as a standard for currency exchange.
extant
still in existence; surviving:
an extant letter
patina
- *a green or brown film on the surface of bronze or similar metals, produced by oxidation over a long period:**
- many bronzes have been overcleaned, their original patina removed and artificially replaced*
a gloss or sheen on wooden furniture produced by age and polishing:
the dining table will acquire a warm patina with age
the impression or appearance of something:
he carries the patina of old money and good breeding
invidious
- *(of an action or situation) likely to arouse or incur resentment or anger in others:**
- she’d put herself in an invidious position*
- *(of a comparison or distinction) unfairly discriminating; unjust:**
- it seems invidious to make special mention of one aspect of his work*
proffer
hold out or put forward (something) to someone for acceptance:
she proffered a glass of wine
aegis
- *1 [in singular] the protection, backing, or support of a particular person or organization:**
- the negotiations were conducted under the aegis of the UN*
2(in classical art and mythology) an attribute of Zeus and Athene (or their Roman counterparts Jupiter and Minerva) usually represented as a goatskin shield.
hoary
- *1greyish white:**
- hoary cobwebs*
- *(of a person) old and having grey or white hair:**
- young lasses imprisoned by hoary old husbands*
- *2overused and unoriginal; trite**:
- the hoary old adage often used by Fleet Street editors*
demotic
ordinary colloquial speech:denoting or relating to the kind of language used by ordinary people; colloquial:
he blinked in mild surprise at this uncharacteristic leap into the demotic
plaint
- *1 Law, British an accusation or charge.**
- *2chiefly literary a complaint or lamentation:**
- it is a familiar plaint—no jobs for young researchers*
Bulwark
1 defensive wall.
- a person or thing that acts as a defence:*
- the security forces are a bulwark against the breakdown of society*
bumptious
irritatingly self-assertive:
an impossibly bumptious and opinionated ass
Jingoistic
[mass noun] chiefly derogatory
extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive or warlike foreign policy:
the popular jingoism that swept the lower-middle classes
couched
1express (something) in language of a specified style:
the assurances were couched in general terms
apotheosis
- *1the highest point in the development of something; a culmination or climax:**
- his appearance as Hamlet was the apotheosis of his career*
- *2the elevation of someone to divine status:**
- death spared Pompey the task of having to account for the apotheosis of Caesar*
sinceure
a position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit:
political sinecures for the supporters of ministers
Extant
still in existence; surviving:
an extant letter
Amalgam
a mixture or blend:
a curious amalgam of the traditional and the modern
Chemistry an alloy of mercury with another metal, especially one used for dental fillings:
[as modifier]:
blithely
- *showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper:**
- a blithe disregard for the rules of the road*
- *literary happy or carefree:**
- a blithe seaside comedy*
Bugbear
- *1a cause of obsessive fear, anxiety, or irritation:**
- the biggest villain is that adman’s bugbear, saturated fat*
2 archaic an imaginary being invoked to frighten children, typically a sort of hobgoblin supposed to devour them.
Presage
be a sign or warning of (an imminent event, typically an unwelcome one):
the heavy clouds above the moorland presaged snow
- *an omen or portent:**
- the fever was a sombre presage of his final illness*
morass
- *1an area of muddy or boggy ground:**
- in midwinter the track beneath this bridge became a muddy morass*
- *2a complicated or confused situation:**
- she would become lost in a morass of lies and explanations*
Ignominious
deserving or causing public disgrace or shame:
no other party risked ignominious defeat
Reprise
repeat (a piece of music or a performance):
he reprises his role as the vigilante architect
Eminently
to a notable degree; very:
an eminently readable textbook
ad hominem
(of an argument or reaction) directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining:
[as adjective]:
an ad hominem response
Fealty
a feudal tenant’s or vassal’s sworn loyalty to a lord:
they owed fealty to the Earl rather than the King
- *formal acknowledgement of loyalty to a lord:**
- a property for which she did fealty*
Imprimatur
a person’s authoritative approval:
the original LP enjoyed the imprimatur of the composer
Scion
a descendant of a notable family:
he was the scion of a wealthy family
Protracted
lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual:
a protracted and bitter dispute
Vanguard
- *a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas:**
- the experimental spirit of the modernist vanguard*
- *a position at the forefront of new developments or ideas:**
- the prototype was in the vanguard of technical development*
Peremptory
- *insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way:**
- ‘Just do it!’ came the peremptory reply*
- *Law not open to appeal or challenge; final:**
- a peremptory order of the court*
Ukase
(in tsarist Russia) a decree with the force of law.
an arbitrary or peremptory command.
Enjoined
- *instruct or urge (someone) to do something:**
- the code enjoined members to trade fairly*
- *[with object] prescribe (an action or attitude) to be performed or adopted:**
- the charitable deeds enjoined on him by religion*
- *[with object] (enjoin someone from) Law prohibit someone from performing (a particular action) by issuing an injunction:**
- he was enjoined from using the patent*
Blithe
- *showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper:**
- a blithe disregard for the rules of the road*
Actuate
- *1 [with object] make (a machine or device) operate:**
- the pendulum actuates an electrical switch*
- *2make (someone) act in a particular way; motivate:**
- the defendants were actuated by malice*
Solicitude
- *care or concern for someone or something:**
- I was touched by his solicitude*
approbate
approve formally; sanction:
a letter approbating the affair
Ethereal
- *extremely delicate and light in a way that seems not to be of this world:**
- her ethereal beauty*
- *heavenly or spiritual:**
- ethereal, otherworldly visions*
Contrition
- *the state of feeling remorseful and penitent:**
- to show contrition for his crime he offered to do community service*
Fructify
- *make (something) fruitful or productive:**
- they were sacrificed in order that their blood might fructify the crops*
- *[no object] bear fruit or become productive:**
- it fructified like vegetation in steamy heat*
