Piranesi Flashcards
Disjuncture
noun
a separation or disconnection.
“the monstrous disjuncture between his private and his public life”
Wrest
verb
1. forcibly pull (something) from a person’s grasp.
“Leila tried to wrest her arm from his hold”
ARCHAIC
2. distort the meaning or interpretation of (something) to suit one’s own interests or views.
“you appear convinced of my guilt, and wrest every reply I have made”
noun ARCHAIC
a key for tuning a harp or piano.
Repudiation
noun
1. rejection of a proposal or idea.
“the repudiation of reformist policies”
2. denial of the truth or validity of something.
Epithet
noun
1. an adjective or phrase expressing a quality or attribute regarded as characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.
“old men are often unfairly awarded the epithet ‘dirty’”
2. an epithet used as a term of abuse.
“people jeered and hurled racial epithets”
Hierophant
noun
a person, especially a priest, who interprets sacred mysteries or esoteric principles.
Intermittent
adjective
occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady.
“intermittent rain”
Oblique
adjective
1. neither parallel nor at right angles to a specified or implied line; slanting.
“we sat on the settee oblique to the fireplace”
2. not expressed or done in a direct way.
“he issued an oblique attack on the President”
noun BRITISH
1. another term for slash1 (sense 2 of the noun).
2. an oblique muscle.
“it is the obliques and abdominals which create the well-trained look”
Enfeebled
adjective
made weak or feeble.
“trade unions are in an enfeebled state”
Muddle
verb
1. bring into a disordered or confusing state.
“I fear he may have muddled the message”
2. mix (a drink) or stir (an ingredient) into a drink.
“muddle the kiwi slices with the sugar”
noun
an untidy and disorganized state or collection.
“the finances were in a muddle”
Plinth
noun
1. a heavy base supporting a statue or vase.
“busts of the King and Queen on marble plinths”
ARCHITECTURE
2. the lower square slab at the base of a column.
ARCHITECTURE
3. the base course of a building, or projecting base of a wall.
Bray
verb
1. (of a donkey or mule) utter a bray.
“the donkey brayed and kicked”
2. (of a person) speak or laugh loudly and harshly.
“he brayed with laughter”
Elfin
adjective
1. (of a person or their face) small and delicate, typically with a mischievous charm.
“her black hair suited her elfin face”
2. relating to elves.
“an enchanted world of fairies in elfin glades”
noun
ARCHAIC
1. an elf.
2. a small North American butterfly that is typically brownish with markings on the wing margins that give the impression of scalloped edges.
Peaceable
adjective
1. inclined to avoid conflict or dissent.
“an industrious, peaceable people”
2. free from conflict or dissent; peaceful.
“peaceable demonstrations for democratic reform”
Pediment
noun
1. the triangular upper part of the front of a classical building, typically surmounting a portico.
GEOLOGY
2. a broad, gently sloping expanse of rock debris extending outwards from the foot of a mountain slope, especially in a desert.
Repose
noun
1. a state of rest, sleep, or tranquillity.
“in repose her face looked relaxed”
2. the state of being calm and composed.
“he had lost none of his grace or his repose”
ART
3. harmonious arrangement of colours and forms, providing a restful visual effect.
“many of the qualities of the great Piero della Francescas—the sense of grand stasis, of timeless repose—seem strongly reincarnated in this work”
verb
1. be situated or kept in a particular place.
“the diamond now reposes in the Louvre”
2. lie down in rest.
“how sweetly he would repose in the four-poster bed”
LITERARY
3. lay something to rest in or on.
“I’ll go to him, and repose our distresses on his friendly bosom”
ARCHAIC
4. give rest to.
“he halted to repose his way-worn soldiers”
Supercilious
adjective
behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.
“a supercilious lady’s maid”
Pervade
verb
1. (especially of a smell) spread through and be perceived in every part of.
“a smell of stale cabbage pervaded the air”
2. be present and apparent throughout.
“the sense of crisis which pervaded Europe in the 1930s”
Inundation
noun
1. an overwhelming abundance of people or things.
“an inundation of rugby fans”
2. flooding.
“the annual inundation of the Nile”
Bewail
verb
express great regret, sadness, or disappointment about (something).
“men will bewail the loss of earlier freedoms”
Beneficence
noun
an act of charity, mercy, and kindness with a strong connotation of doing good to others including moral obligation.
Pompous
adjective
1. affectedly grand, solemn, or self-important.
“a pompous ass who pretends he knows everything”
ARCHAIC
2. characterized by pomp or splendour.
“processions and other pompous shows”
Insinuating
adjective
1. hinting at something bad in an indirect and unpleasant way.
“dirty, insinuating laughter”
-
using subtle manipulation to manoeuvre oneself into a favourable position.
“a sneaky, insinuating move”
Redolent
adjective
1. strongly reminiscent or suggestive of.
“names redolent of history and tradition”
ARCHAIC•LITERARY
2. fragrant or sweet-smelling.
“a rich, inky, redolent wine”
Precipitate
verb
1. cause (an event or situation, typically one that is undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely.
“the incident precipitated a political crisis”
CHEMISTRY
2. cause (a substance) to be deposited in solid form from a solution.
“cell proteins were then precipitated and washed in 10% trichloroacetic acid”
adjective
done, made, or acting suddenly or without careful consideration.
“I must apologize for my staff—their actions were precipitate”
noun CHEMISTRY
a substance precipitated from a solution.
Paralegal
noun
a legal professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with an admission to practice law.
Spleen
noun
ANATOMY
1. an abdominal organ involved in the production and removal of blood cells in most vertebrates and forming part of the immune system.
2. bad temper; spite.
“he could vent his spleen on the institutions which had duped him”
Abhorrent
adjective
inspiring disgust and loathing; repugnant.
“racism was abhorrent to us all”
Reproach
verb
express to (someone) one’s disapproval of or disappointment in their actions.
“critics reproached him for his failure to tackle the deficiency”
noun
the expression of disapproval or disappointment.
“he gave her a look of reproach”
