Perdido Street Station 2 Flashcards
sardonic
mocking and scornful in a humorous way; ironically or disdainfully humorous e.g. her sardonic jokes in the late nighr show
cant
trite talk that has lost its meaning from over-repetition
- also jargon
moribund
almost dead
- moribund, she gasped “i love you”
- the DVD is moribund with present live streaming services
shambolic
(british slang) disorderly, chaotic
gullible
naive and easily tricked or deceived e.g.the trusting gullible granny was fooled by the thieves
lewd
morally loose, lusty (salacious), dirty e.g. like lewd jokes
garish
gaudy, tastelessly showy and vivid e.g. an outfit
saunter
a careless leisurely gait, walk without aim
burr
seed with thorns or prickles - the dog’s fur is full of burrs after a run in the meadow
fatuous
lacking intelligence; inane
teeter
waver or sway as of lack of balance; move unsteadily from side to side
- the piles of books teetered precariously
embezzlement
a fraud or theft of money or property you manage for someone else e.g. club’s pocket money or in a company stealing some shipped goods
crag (craggy)
rugged rock or cliff; a rock having a rough jagged face
inexorable
stubborn or unavoidable; not to be placated, appeased or moved by entreaty (a plead) e.g. Russia’s inexorable move
ponce
- ) an effeminate man, fussy about apparel
2. ) a pimp; one who procures sexual partners for a sex worker (UK word)
procure
- ) get by special effort e.g. she procured cigarettes to prison
- ) arrange for sexual partners for others e.g. a pimp procures sex workers for clients
chump
a gullible person easy to take advantage of e.g. ey felt like a chump after being cheated out of money
skivvy
[skih-vy]
a female domestic worker for menial work
menial
[mih-nial]
requiring little to no training or talent, especially of domestic (unskilled) work
leeway
a permissible difference allowing some freedom e.g. ask you teacher if there is any leeway to hand the paper later
forbearance
- ) a good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence; patience e.g. thank you for your forbearance in this mess
- ) a delay in acting or in rights enforcement e.g. his forbearance to reply astonished her
expostulate
argue fervently against (strongly trying to convince) e.g. expostulate with your brother who was trying to jump off the roof blindfolded OR expostulate against meat consumption
forestall
prevent from happening; preclude e.g. your job is to forestall the alternative failures of the project
deprecate
[deh-preh-cate]
- ) to express strong disapproval of (deplore) e.g. i deprecate smoking in public
- ) to belittle disrespectfully e.g. seniour students deprecate youngsters
hutch
- ) a cage (wood and metal) for animals
2. ) small crude shelter-dwelling
dejected
having given up hope; low spirited and melancholy depressed e.g. she roamed the streets dejcted from her loss
stevedore
[stih-vih-dore]
a dock-worker who loads and unlods cargo
forsake
abandon or leave someone in need e.g. they forsook me and now i am a pariah
suffuse
spread or flood through and fill space like the smell of flowers in meadows
paltry
[poh-ltry]
derisory-ish (contemptibly and rodiculously) small in content e.g. Oliver Twist got a paltry amount of gruel and asked for more
abstruse
difficult to grasp and understand; requiring extensive knowledge; deep and intelectually challenging
- almost like the opposite of obtuse
e. g. understanding how internet works is abstruse
obtuse
slow to learn, lacking intellectual insight
attenuate
weaken, fade
scrawny
(derogatory) thin and weak physically
oneiric
[onai-ric]
relating to dreams
greek: oneiros = dream
mocking and scornful in a humorous way; ironically or disdainfully humorous
sardonic
abandon or leave someone in need
forsake
almost dead
moribund
barb
a spiteful insult (like a barbed wire)
simper
to smile in a overaffected, articifial, coy way (coy = modest and shy in a provocative or playful way) e.g. his fake simper annoys me
trite talk that has lost its meaning from over-repetition
- also jargon
a cant
(british slang) disorderly, chaotic
shambolic
gaudy, tastelessly showy and vivid e.g. an outfit
garish
naive and easily tricked or deceived e.g. the trusting granny who was fooled by the thieves
gullible
morally loose, lusty (salacious), dirty e.g. jokes
lewd
a careless leisurely gait, walk without aim
saunter
n./v.
seed with thorns or prickles e.g. in the dog’s fur after a run in the meadow
burr
waver or sway as of lack of balance; move unsteadily from side to side
teeter
lacking intelligence; inane
fatuous
a fraud or theft of money or property you manage for someone else e.g. club’s pocket money or in a company stealing some shipped goods
embezzlement
rugged rock or cliff; a rock having a rough jagged face
crag
stubborn or unavoidable; not to be placated, appeased or moved by entreaty (a plead)
inexorable
spread or flood through and fill space like the smell of flowers in meadows
suffuse
- ) an effeminate man, fussy about apparel
2. ) a pimp; one who procures sexual partners for a sex worker (UK word)
ponce
- ) get by special effort
2. ) arrange for sexual partners for others e.g. like a pimp
procure
a gullible person easy to take advantage of e.g. ey felt like a … after being cheated out of money
chump
derisorily (contemptiibly and rodiculously) small in content
paltry
[poh-ltry]
a female domestic worker for menial work
skivvy
[skih-vy]
requiring little to no training or talent, especially of domestic (unskilled) work
menial
[mih-nial]
a permissible difference allowing some degree of freedom
leeway
- ) a good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence; patience
- ) a delay in acting or in rights enforcement
forbearance
difficult to grasp and understand; requiring extensive knowledge; deep and intelectually challenging
(almost like the opposite of obtuse)
e.g. understanding how internet works
abstruse
argue fervently against (strongly trying to convince) e.g. against meat consumption
expostulate
prevent from happening; preclude
forestall
- ) to express strong disapproval of (deplore) e.g. about smoking in public
- ) to belittle disrespectfully e.g. seniour students to youngsters
deprecate
[deh-preh-cate]
- ) a cage (wood and metal) for animals
2. ) small crude shelter-dwelling
hutch
having given up hope; low spirited and melancholy depressed
dejected
a dock-worker who loads and unlods cargo
stevedore
[stih-vih-dore]
slow to learn, lacking intellectual insight
obtuse
weaken, fade, reduce the force
- also reduce the virulency of a virus/infection/epidemic
- reduce in thickness, make thin
attenuate
(derogatory) thin and weak physically
scrawny
relating to dreams
oneiric
[onai-ric]
retaliate
take revenge (for a perceived wrong)
flounder
walk with great difficulty; stagger
dissolution
- ) separation into parts
2. ) unrestrained morally or comventionally (debauchery)
dale
a valley in a hilly area typically with a river
contrition
the feeling of pain or sorrow or rueful guilt for one’s wrongdoings or sins
(used to be related to religion)
behest
[b-hest]
an auhoritative request or command e.g. at the officer’s behest, he gave up
mawkish
effusively or insicerely emotional
e.g. the accidental and mawkish meetings with your former classmates or friends on the street
effusive
bubbly emotional like Aunt Sally kissing you 30 times
garrulous
a person full of trivial conversation who won’t stop talking and talking and chattering… like auntie Sally
take revenge (for a perceived wrong)
retaliate
- ) separation into parts
2. ) unrestrained morally or comventionally (debauchery)
dissolution
the feeling of pain or sorrow or rueful guilt for one’s wrongdoings or sins
(used to be related to religion)
contrition
a valley in a hilly area typically with a river
dale
walk with great difficulty; stagger
flounder
ramify
branch out; spead; draw complex consequences e.g. the subway or ideas
impassive
poker-faced, not easily aroused
obstreperous
boisterously and stubbornly defiant e.g. the mum was dragging her obstreperous daughter out of the sweets aisle
nonplussed
bewildered (perplexed by a conflicted situation), puzzled and often speechless e.g. nonplussed, they exchange an agreeing stare
deracinate
move (people) forcibly into a foreign environment e.g. war deracinates people
immaculate
free from stain or blemish; completely clean and neat; spotless and pure like fresh snow on a mountain top e.g. an immaculate home we all wish we had
welter
n/v
a confused multitude of things
grotty
- ) very unpleasant or offensive e.g. a smell or film
2. ) torn, frayed and worn, shabby e.g. a jacket
poxy
informal: petty, unimportant, small e.g. how come it takes so much effort to make a poxy change in the society?
carrion
[kah-rion or keh-rion]
dead and rotting flesh of an animal
strident
being shraply insistent on getting heard; shrill; raucous e.g. strident demands during a protest
fitful
- ) occurring in abrupt periods/bursts/spells e.g. fitful rays of light
- ) intermittently stopping and starting e.g. a fitful sleep
ponderous
heavy, lumbering, slow due to weight e.g. the ponderous soldiers thumped in the hallway
parochial
- ) insular, narrowminded, not open
2. ) related to a restricted religious area - a parish (diocese subsivision)
succour
[sucker]
assitance or help in time of difficulty e.g. i am dependant on you, i am in great succour
pall
n/v
nouns: 1.) sudden umbing dread (fearful apprehension) e.g. a pall settled in the room 2.) burial garment verbs: 1.) become dull or less effective 2.) cause to lose courage
chancer
British slang
a crafty (scheming) opportunist
offal
viscera (internal organs) of butchered animal considered inedible for humans
(root in middle english and swedish is waste and refuse)
pestilential
plaguey; likely to spread infectiously and cause epidemic
desquamate
[des-qua-mate]
peel off in scales like with skin or old paint
unruly
indocile; unwilling to submit to authority e.g. unruly teenagers
parlour
- ) a reception room where visitors are received (inns or clubs)
- ) a livingroom where people sit, talk, relax
dainty
- ) pleasing to taste (a cake) or delicately beautiful (an ornamental cup or also a cake actually)
- ) overnice; excessively fastidious
- ) prissy; excessively proper or affectedly neat and fussy; twee = mincing e.g. a dainty Queen
gilded
- ) based on pretence; deceptively pleasing e.g. the perfumed and gilded nobility
- ) rich and superiour = grand or sumptuous e.g. a decorated armchair
abattoir
[french pronunciation aba-tu-a]
animal slaughterhouse
seditious
in opposition to government or civil authority, arousing rebellion e.g. sedicious newspapers are needed for a revolution to happen
= roughly the same meaning for insurgent and subversive
gore
- ) coagulated blood
2. ) to wound by piercing
charnel
gruesomely indicative of death (= ghastly or sepulchral)
sanguinary
- ) related to blooshed = gory, butcherly e.g. this bitter sanguinary war
- ) a bloodthirsty person
peremptory
- ) not allowing contradiction; putting an end to all debate e.g. a decree
- ) insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way
- ) offensively self-assured, bossy or exercising unwarranted (unjustified) power e.g. a lady at študíjne oddelenie
wail
- ) weakly cry
2. ) a cry of sorrow and grief, lamentation
lance
a surgical double-edged knife used for small incisions
penury
extreme poverty or destitution (poverty with no prospects and no friends)
lackadaisical
indolent or idle in a dreamy way e.g. Luna Lovehood was annoyingly lackadaisical sometimes but when needed would rise to fight
languorous
[lang-rous]
idle, lacking in spirit or liveliness e.g. a languorous steamy day
insouciant
nonchalant; blithely unconcerned e.g. she relished in her insouciance not wanting to be troubled
glower
n/v
look angry and disapproving e.g. the principal glowered at her insouciance
an angry, disapproving stare
aghast
terrified, showing signs of horror e.g. she stared at them and their weapons aghast as she screamed in defence
interminable
tiresomely long; seemingly without an end e.g. a long-haul flight or a night when you cannot fall asleep staring at the ceiling
aplomb
[aplom]
great composure and coolness under strain e.g. she regained her admirable aplomb during the judicial interrogation
eldritch
uncanny, unearthly, supernatural
supplicate
ask humbly, pray, beseech humbly
prance
a proud stiff pompous gait; swagger, a lofty gait to inpress other e.g. she pranced proudly through the streets
etiolated
pale or sickly e.g. light
bleach e.g. etiolated plants without chlorophyll
bicker
squabble; quarrel over petty things e.g. bickering like crows
priapic
- ) overly concerned with maleness, male sexuality, masculinity e.g. the priapic gay club culture
- ) resembling a phallus, erect shape
clandestine
marked by hidden plans or methods; surreptitious; cloak-and-dagger e.g. a clandestine government resistance
dogged
stubbornly unyielding; tenacious e.g. she was dogged to finish the race whatever the costs to her health
valedictory
a farewell (leaving) speech, especially a graduation one
perfidy
deliberate betrayal, treachery. per fidem (latin) = through trust (so a perfidious act breaks an pre-established faith)
iniquity
an extremely immoral, wicked act; an absence of spiritual or moral values e.g. the iniquity of the darkness OR a journalist uncovered a terrible iniquity that turned down a politician
debutante
[french pron.]
usually a wealthy girl whose parents want to introduce her to the society in a BIG way; a woman making a debut
sough
[sof]
an air breeze, a waft, a whispering wind sound or a deep sigh
gibbous
[gi-buh-s]
(of a moon) more than half full
wan
[one; uAan]
pale and sickly, visibly unwell lacking energy e.g. after a severe fever she stood up from the bed looking very wan
slobber / slabber
drool saliva from mouth
dribble
rapacious
- ) extremely greedy; voracious e.g. paying taxes to a rapacious government
- ) predatory; raptorial; living by preying
branch out; spead; draw complex consequences e.g. the subway or ideas
ramify
poker-faced, not easily aroused
impassive
boisterously and stubbornly defiant
obstreperous
bewildered (perplexed by a conflicted situation), puzzled and often speechless
nonplussed
move (people) forcibly into a foreign environment e.g. via war
deracinate
free from stain or blemish; completely clean and neat; spotless and pure like fresh snow on a mountain top
immaculate
a confused multitude of things
welter
- ) very unpleasant or offensive e.g. a smell or film
2. ) torn, frayed and worn, shabby e.g. a jacket
grotty
informal: petty, unimportant, small
poxy
dead and rotting flesh of an animal
carrion
[kah-rion or keh-rion]
being shraply insistent on getting heard; shrill; raucous
strident
- ) occurring in abrupt periods/bursts/spells e.g. rays of light
- ) intermittently stopping and starting e.g. a sleep
fitful
heavy, lumbering, slow due to weight
ponderous
- ) insular, narrowminded, not open
2. ) related to a restricted religious area - a parish (diocese subsivision)
parochial
assitance or help in time of difficulty e.g. i am dependant on you, i am in great succour
succour
[sucker]
nouns: 1.) sudden umbing dread (fearful apprehension) 2.) burial garment verbs: 1.) become dull or less effective 2.) cause to lose courage
pall
n./v.
a crafty (scheming) opportunist
chancer
British slang
viscera (internal organs) of butchered animal considered inedible for humans
(root in middle english and swedish is waste and refuse)
offal
[oh-fl]
plaguey; likely to spread infectiously and cause epidemic
pestilential
peel off in scales like with skin or old paint
desquamate
[des-qua-mate]
indocile; unwilling to submit to authority e.g. teenagers
unruly
- ) a reception room where visitors are received (inns or clubs)
- ) a livingroom where people sit, talk, relax
parlour
- ) pleasing to taste (a cake) or delicately beautiful (an ornamental cup or also a cake actually)
- ) overnice; excessively fastidious
- ) prissy; excessively proper or affectedly neat and fussy; twee = mincing (for a man)
dainty
- ) based on pretence; deceptively pleasing e.g. the perfumed nobility
- ) rich and superiour = grand or sumptuous e.g. a decorated armchair
gilded
animal slaughterhouse
abattoir
in opposition to government or civil authority, arousing rebellion e.g. newspapers are needed for a revolution to happen
= roughly the same meaning for insurgent and subversive (subvert = undermine the power of an authority)
seditious
- ) coagulated blood
2. ) to wound by piercing
gore
gruesomely indicative of death (= ghastly or sepulchral)
charnel
- ) related to blooshed = gory, butcherly e.g. this bitter war
- ) a bloodthirsty person
sanguinary
- ) not allowing contradiction; putting an end to all debate e.g. a decree
- ) insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way
- ) offensively self-assured, bossy or exercising unwarranted (unjustified) power e.g. a lady at študíjne oddelenie
peremptory
wail
- ) weakly cry
2. ) a cry of sorrow and grief, lamentation
a surgical double-edged knife used for small incisions
lance
extreme poverty or destitution (poverty with no prospects and no friends)
penury
indolent or idle in a dreamy way e.g. Luna Lovehood
lackadaisical
idle, lacking in spirit or liveliness
languorous
[lang-rous]
nonchalant; blithely unconcerned
insouciant
- look angry and disapproving
- an angry, disapproving stare
glower
terrified, showing signs of horror e.g. she stared at them and their weapons aghast as she screamed in defence
aghast
tiresomely long; seemingly without an end e.g. a long-haul flight or a night when you cannot fall asleep staring at the ceiling
interminable
great composure and coolness under strain, pressure
aplomb
[aplom]
uncanny, unearthly, supernatural
eldritch
ask humbly, pray, beseech humbly
supplicate
a proud stiff pompous gait; swagger, a lofty gait to inpress other
prance
pale or sickly e.g. light
bleach e.g. plants without chlorophyll
etiolated
squabble; quarrel over petty things
bicker
- ) overly concerned with maleness, male sexuality, masculinity e.g. the gay club culture
- ) resembling a phallus, erect shape
priapic
marked by hidden plans or methods; surreptitious; cloak-and-dagger e.g. a government resistance
clandestine
stubbornly unyielding; tenacious e.g. finishing the race whatever the costs to health
dogged
a farewell (leaving) speech, especially a graduation one
valedictory
deliberate betrayal, treachery.
perfidy
an extremely immoral, wicked act; an absence of spiritual or moral values
iniquity
usually a wealthy girl whose parents want to introduce her to the society in a BIG way; a woman making a debut
debutante
an air breeze, a waft, a whispering wind sound or a deep sigh
sough
[sof]
(of a moon) more than half full
gibbous
[gi-buh-s]
pale and sickly, visibly unwell lacking energy
wan
[one; uAan]
drool saliva from mouth
dribble
slobber / slabber
- ) extremely greedy; voracious
2. ) predatory; raptorial; living by preying
rapacious