Old Notebook Flashcards
Wit
1.
a. The natural ability to perceive and understand; intelligence.
b. often wits Practical intelligence; shrewdness or resourcefulness: living by one’s wits.
c. wits Sound mental faculties; sanity: scared out of my wits.
2.
a. The ability to express oneself intelligently in a playful or humorous manner, often in overturning audience expectations: a writer with a scintillating wit.
b. A person noted for this ability, especially in conversation: “My mother, the family wit and teaser, knew better than to joke about the disaster” (Donald Hall).
c. Intelligent playfulness or humor in expression, as in speech, writing, or art: novels known for their wit and inventiveness.
d. A person of exceptional intelligence.
Idioms:
at (one’s) wits’ end
At the limit of one’s mental resources; utterly at a loss.
Credulous
- Disposed to believe too readily; gullible.
- arising from or characterized by credulity: credulous beliefs.
Naive, uncritical, deceivable, unskeptical, unsuspicious, over-trustful
Insidious
- working in a subtle or apparently innocuous way, but nevertheless deadly: an insidious illness; insidious rumors.
- Intended to entrap; treacherous: insidious misinformation.
- Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures.
stealthy, subtle, cunning, treacherous, Machiavellian, sly, crafty, artful, tricky, deceitful, deceptive
Pronouncement
- A formal expression of opinion; a judgment.
2. An authoritative statement.
Stout
- solidly built or corpulent
- (prenominal) resolute or valiant: stout fellow.
- strong, substantial, and robust
- a stout heart courage; resolution
Glare
- To stare fixedly and angrily. See Synonyms at gaze.
- To shine intensely and blindingly: A hot sun glared down on the desert.
- To be conspicuous; stand out obtrusively: The headline glared from the page.
Also noun: A sheet or surface of glassy and very slippery ice.
Growl
The low, guttural, menacing sound made by an animal: the growl of a dog.
Pollard
- A tree whose top branches have been cut back to the trunk so that it may produce a dense growth of new shoots.
- An animal, such as an ox, goat, or sheep, that no longer has its horns.
Ravenous
- Extremely hungry or characterized by extreme hunger; voracious: missed lunch and was ravenous by dinnertime.
- Predatory or ferocious in predation: ravenous lions.
- Eager for gratification or extremely desirous: “I’m ravenous for news, any kind of news” (Margaret Atwood).
Steeple
A tower rising above the roof of a building, especially as a church or temple, and usually surmounted by a spire.
Falter
- To be unsteady in purpose or action, as from loss of courage or confidence; waver: “She never faltered in her resolution to regain her old position” (Louis Auchincloss).
- To speak hesitatingly; stammer: faltered in reciting the poem.
3.
a. To move unsteadily or haltingly; stumble: The racehorse faltered right after the start.
b. To become weak, ineffective, or unsteady, especially in performance: The economy faltered in the second quarter. His memory began to falter.
n. - Unsteadiness in speech or action: finished the project without falter.
- A faltering sound: answered with a falter in his voice.
Recreation
- Refreshment of one’s mind or body after work through activity that amuses or stimulates; play.
- an activity or pastime that promotes this
Tentative
- Not fully worked out, concluded, or agreed on; provisional: tentative plans.
- Indicating a lack of confidence or certainty; hesitant: tentative steps toward the podium.
Implicit
- not explicit; implied; indirect: there was implicit criticism in his voice. an implicit agreement not to raise the touchy subject.
- absolute and unreserved; unquestioning: you have implicit trust in him.
- (followed by: in) contained or inherent: to bring out the anger implicit in the argument. “Frustration is implicit in any attempt to express the deepest self” (Patricia Hampl).
Preclude
- To make impossible, as by action taken in advance; prevent: The police findings preclude any doubt as to his guilt.
- To exclude or prevent (someone) from a given condition or activity: Modesty precludes me from accepting the honor. The rules of the club preclude women from joining. Owners are precluded from altering the front of the house.
Devoid
Completely lacking; destitute or empty; void (of); free (from): a novel devoid of wit and inventiveness.
‘Resolute
Reso’lution
Resolute: Firm or determined; unwavering.
Resolution:
1. the act or an instance of resolving
2. the condition or quality of being resolute; firmness or determination
3. something resolved or determined; decision
4. a formal expression of opinion by a meeting, esp one agreed by a vote: The UN resolution condemned the invasion.
5. (Law) a judicial decision on some matter; verdict; judgment
6. the act or process of separating something into its constituent parts or elements
7. (Photography) the ability of a television or film image to reproduce fine detail
Ineffable
- Incapable of being expressed; indescribable or unutterable: ineffable joy.
- Not to be uttered; taboo: the ineffable name of God.
Moot
Adj. 1.
a. Subject to debate; arguable or unsettled: “It is a moot point whether Napoleon Bonaparte was born a subject of the King of France” (Norman Davies).
b. Of no practical importance; irrelevant:
V. 1. bring up (a subject) for discussion or debate.
2. To render (a subject or issue) irrelevant: “The F.C.C.’s ability to regulate the broadcast media rested on the finite nature of the spectrum, and that has been mooted by the infinity of cable” (William Safire). 30 janv. 2004 - Soon after he became FCC Chairman under President Reagan, Michael Fowler stated his desire to do away with the Fairness Doctrine.
N. The discussion or argument of a hypothetical case by law students as an exercise.
Adj. Not presenting an open legal question, as a result of the occurrence of some event definitively resolving the issue, or the absence of a genuine case or controversy.
Outlay
- The spending or disbursement of money: the weekly outlay on groceries.
- An amount spent; an expenditure: “huge new outlays for the military” (New York Times).
Latitude
1.
a. The angular distance north or south of the earth’s equator, measured in degrees along a meridian, as on a map or globe.
b. A region of the earth considered in relation to its distance from the equator: temperate latitudes.
2. Astronomy The angular distance of a celestial body north or south of the ecliptic.
- scope for freedom of action, thought, etc; freedom from restriction: his parents gave him a great deal of latitude.
Stagger
- (usually intr) to walk or cause to walk unsteadily as if about to fall
- (tr) to astound or overwhelm, as with shock: I am staggered by his ruthlessness.
- (tr) to place or arrange in alternating or overlapping positions or time periods to prevent confusion or congestion: a staggered junction; to stagger holidays. Staggered working hours.
- (intr) to falter or hesitate: his courage staggered in the face of the battle.
But the Scottish National Party, despite losing a referendum on independence last year, looks set to wipe out Labour’s support – a scenario that would represent one of British politics’ most staggering political realignments in decades.
Treatise
a formal work on a subject, esp one that deals systematically with its principles and conclusions
Statute
- A law enacted by a legislature.
- A decree or edict, as of a ruler.
Adj. Statutory rights.