Princeton Vocab I (C)

Question 1

Pugnacious

Answer 1

adj.
Truculent, Combative

Carrie Lam, the current chief executive, who appeared to relish debate, has been called pugnacious and quick-witted by her colleagues.

mid 17th century: from Latin pugnax, pugnac- (from pugnare ‘to fight’, from pugnus ‘fist’) + -ious.

Question 2

Execrable

Answer 2

adj.
Extremely bad or unpleasant (execrated means detested or denounced)

The Land, Air & Sea, in which the fish and chicken patties of the Filet-O-Fish and the McChicken, respectively, were inserted into a Big Mac, was truly execrable.

late Middle English (in the sense ‘expressing or involving a curse’): via Old French from Latin execrabilis, from exsecrari ‘to curse’

Question 3

Sidereal

Answer 3

adj.
Of or with respect to the distant stars.

Called sidereal time, the measurement calculates the length of a day by comparing the earth’s rotation to the stars.

mid 17th century: from Latin sidereus (from sidus, sider- ‘star’)

Question 4

Etiolated

Answer 4

adj.
Having lost vigor or substance, (of a plant) pale due to a lack of light.

Eventually, the willowy and languid young man became an etiolated and weary elderly man, and decided he had had enough.

late 18th century: from French étioler, from Norman French étieuler ‘grow into haulm’

Question 5

Stolid

Answer 5

adj.
Calm, unemotional

The ideology behind Bush’s war may have been cooked up in the stolid bureaucratic world of think-tank Washington.

late 16th century: from obsolete French stolide or Latin stolidus (perhaps related to stultus ‘foolish’)

Question 6

Invidious

Answer 6

adj.
Unjust, likely to cause resentment or anger in others

Closer to home, the mechanisms of repression are less heavy-handed, but no less invidious in their intent.

early 17th century: from Latin invidiosus, from invidia, from invidere ‘regard maliciously, grudge’, from in- ‘into’ + videre ‘to see’

Question 7

Plangent

Answer 7

adj.
Loud and resonant, mournful

Particularly striking is the work of Samatar Elmi, whose plangent lyrics disguise a sharp bite.

early 19th century: from Latin plangent- ‘lamenting’, from the verb plangere

Question 8

Nugatory

Answer 8

adj.
Inconsequential, futile

Tara is a waitress supporting her widowed mother, alcoholic sister and adored niece with her nugatory wages.

early 17th century: from Latin nugatorius, from nugari ‘to trifle’, from nugae ‘jests’

Question 9

Denouement

Answer 9

noun.
The outcome of a situation, falling action, could be a formality at the end of a process

Out of deference to the author and his readers, the denouement cannot be revealed here.

mid 18th century: French dénouement, from dénouer ‘unknot’

Question 10

Antediluvian

Answer 10

adj.
from before the Biblical flood, something ancient/primitive

Microsoft released the first version of Internet Explorer in 1995, the antediluvian era of web surfing dominated by the first widely popular browser, Netscape Navigator.

mid 17th century: from ante- + Latin diluvium ‘deluge’

Question 11

Superannuated

Answer 11

adj.
Outmoded, disqualified from active service due to age, older than the typical member of a group

Our health care, housing, recreation and retirement institutions are not set up to manage the needs of the superannuated.

mid 17th century: from medieval Latin superannuatus, from Latin super- ‘over’ + annus ‘year’

Question 12

Senescence

Answer 12

noun.
Deterioration with age

The ingredient is said to prevent skin cells from becoming sluggish, which results in dull, tired-looking skin (the fancy word for this phase is senescence).

from Latin senescent-, senescens, present participle of senescere to grow old, from sen-, senex old

Question 13

Florid

Answer 13

adj.
Flowery, overly elaborate, tinged with red (and then like fervid), (of a disease) fully developed, (archaic) healthy

This is a delight, full of florid language, slow-building tension, groan-inducing puns, loads of food descriptions, and a fun and fleshed-out supporting cast.

mid 17th century: from Latin floridus, from flos, flor- ‘flower’

Question 14

Xeric

Answer 14

adj.
Dry, requiring little moisture

Almost everyone knows succulents are xeric plants.

1920s: from xero- ‘dry’

Question 15

Expurgate

Answer 15

verb.
Censor, cleanse of anything morally harmful, offensive, or erroneous.

The movie’s climactic punchline was repeatedly expurgated and reinstated during previews.

early 17th century (in the sense ‘purge of excrement’): from Latin expurgat- ‘thoroughly cleansed’, from the verb expurgare, from ex- ‘out’ + purgare ‘cleanse’

Question 16

Ramus

Answer 16

noun.
A branch-like structure or protruding part.

The mandible is composed of the body and the ramus and is located inferior to the maxilla.

mid 17th century: from Latin, literally ‘branch’

Question 17

Anschsluss

Answer 17

noun.
Union (used especially in reference to the forcible uniting of Germany and Austria in 1938).

The Anschluss was the Nazi German regime’s first act of territorial aggression and expansion.

German.

Question 18

Echt

Answer 18

adj, adv.
Authentic(ally), typical(ly)

An echt New Englander wouldn’t think of putting tomatoes in clam chowder.

German.

Question 19

Fulminate

Answer 19

verb.
To utter or send forth with denunciation, send forth censures or invectives, explode violently or flash like lightning

In answer, a furious Trump weaved and bobbed, fulminating about walls, fake news, and hoaxes, but of course, never going near the question.

late Middle English: from Latin fulminat- ‘struck by lightning’, from fulmen, fulmin- ‘lightning’. The earliest sense (derived from medieval Latin fulminare ) was ‘denounce formally’, later ‘issue formal censures’ (originally said of the Pope). A sense ‘emit thunder and lightning’, based on the original Latin meaning, arose in the early 17th century, and hence ‘explode violently’ (late 17th century)

Question 20

Chary

Answer 20

adj.
Cautiously or suspiciously reluctant, hesitant about something.

The autocratic Chinese government is also chary of any display of mass mobilization, even benign ones like Pride.

Old English cearig ‘sorrowful, anxious’, of West Germanic origin; related to care. The current sense arose in the mid 16th century

Question 21

Emollient

Answer 21

noun, adj.
(Having the quality of) something that softens, soothes (esp the skin)

There must be no hint of division to encourage Moscow, no more emollient telephone conversations from the Élysée Palace in Paris.

mid 17th century: from Latin emollient- ‘making soft’, from the verb emollire, from e- (variant of ex- ‘out’) + mollis ‘soft’.

Question 22

Impecunious

Answer 22

adj.
Poor, penniless.

A sweet but impecunious dishwasher, he pretends to be a successful entrepreneur to impress his father and nightclubbing girlfriend.

late 16th century: from in-1 ‘not’ + obsolete pecunious ‘having money, wealthy’ (from Latin pecuniosus, from pecunia ‘money’).

Question 23

Inveigle

Answer 23

verb.
Persuade or acquire by flattery or deception

To reach Peru, Dr. Koepcke had to first get to a port and inveigle his way onto a trans-Atlantic freighter.

late 15th century (in the sense ‘beguile, deceive’; formerly also as enveigle ): from Anglo-Norman French envegler, alteration of Old French aveugler ‘to blind’, from aveugle ‘blind’, from the Medieval Latin ab oculis ‘without eyes’.

Question 24

Quaff

Answer 24

noun, verb.
(Imbibe) (a healthy gulp of) a drink, esp an alcoholic one

Atlanta Braves backers quaff four drinks a game and spend $32.

~Unknown~ but probably imitative of the sound of drinking (?)

Question 25

Redoubtable

Answer 25

adj.
Formidable (as an opponent), illustrious

Real Madrid could risk absorbing pressure, conceding chances, safe in the knowledge that Courtois is a redoubtable last line of defense.

late Middle English: from Old French redoutable, from redouter ‘to fear’, from re- (expressing intensive force) + douter ‘to doubt’.

Question 26

Torpid

Answer 26

adj.
Apathetic, lethargic

Investors fear that the world is turning into Japan, with a torpid economy that struggles to vanquish deflation, and is hence prone to going backwards.

late Middle English: from Latin torpidus, from torpere ‘be numb or sluggish’.

Question 27

Surfeit

Answer 27

noun, verb
Excess, or disgust caused by excess, or to cause/give to such.

The photograph’s edges — the only sharp, straight lines anywhere to be seen — slice off a view that is otherwise a surfeit of graceful curves.

Middle English: from Old French, based on Latin super- ‘above, in excess’ + facere ‘do’.

Question 28

Probity

Answer 28

noun.
Honesty, uprightness

Garland seems to be counting on a belief that most Americans, exhausted by the Trump years, will welcome his neutrality, probity, and reticence.

late Middle English: from Latin probitas, from probus ‘good’.

Question 29

Profligate

Answer 29

noun, adj.
(One who tends to be) extravagant or wasteful, licentious/degenerate

A profligate who could not really afford the grand style he maintained at Monticello, Jefferson died deeply in debt

late Middle English: from Latin dissolutus ‘disconnected, loose’, from the verb dissolvere (see dissolve).

Question 30

Quixotic

Answer 30

adj.
Foolishly impractical, idealistic

An investigation reveals the quixotic nature of Elon Musk’s pursuit of self-driving technology — and the tragic results.

18th Century, from Don Quixote

Question 31

Sedulous

Answer 31

adj.
Diligent, involving or accomplished with careful perseverance.

Manchin has been a sedulous supporter of the fossil fuel industry.

mid 16th century: from Latin sedulus ‘zealous’

Question 32

Chauvinism

Answer 32

noun.
Excessive patriotism, a sense of superiority, undue partiality to members of one’s own group

Class struggle, permanent revolution, and the cult of Chairman Mao replaced outward signs of nationalism and Han chauvinism, which Mao continued to dismiss as bourgeois thinking.

late 19th century: named after Nicolas Chauvin, a Napoleonic veteran noted for his extreme patriotism, popularized as a character by the Cogniard brothers in Cocarde Tricolore

Question 33

August

Answer 33

adj.
Respected, venerable.

In person, Barnett has rock-star charisma that belies her august pedigree and sets her apart from her besuited peers.

mid 17th century: from French auguste or Latin augustus ‘consecrated, venerable’.

Question 34

Brook

Answer 34

verb.
Tolerate, countenance

In a region where leaders brook little dissent, the country of 12 million became a place of free speech and political contestation.

Old English brūcan ‘use, possess’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bruiken and German brauchen . The current sense dates from the mid 16th century, a figurative use of an earlier sense ‘digest, stomach’.

Question 35

Essay/Assay

Answer 35

noun, verb.
Attempt, try, test

He had been in gymnastics for some time before he even considered essaying that move.

late 15th century (as a verb in the sense ‘test the quality of’): alteration of assay, by association with Old French essayer, based on late Latin exagium ‘weighing’, from the base of exigere ‘ascertain, weigh’; the noun (late 16th century) is from Old French essai ‘trial’.

Question 36

Fell

Answer 36

adj.
Evil, deadly

Cap’s enemies have been a parade of genocidal villains, from Nazis, to killer robots, to fell creatures from outer space.

Middle English: from Old French fel, nominative of felon ‘wicked (person)’

Question 37

Guy

Answer 37

noun, verb.
a rope brace, to steady with a rope brace
OR: to ridicule.

His friends guyed him for his reaction when he met her, but it was all in good fun.

Question 38

Nice

Answer 38

adj.
Precise, particular, punctilious.
OR: very slight/subtle

He claimed to have too nice a palate to enjoy junk food like cheetos.

Middle English (in the sense ‘stupid’): from Old French, from Latin nescius ‘ignorant’, from nescire ‘not know’. Other early senses included ‘coy, reserved’, giving rise to ‘fastidious, scrupulous’: this led both to the sense ‘fine, subtle’ (regarded by some as the ‘correct’ sense), and to the main current senses.

Question 39

Occult

Answer 39

verb, adj.
(To make) hidden, esoteric

The waning crescent Moon—just 9%-lit—will occult the planet Venus, but only for those in Madagascar.

She had a fascination with occult passageways that might be revealed by knocking on or picking up the right object.

late 15th century: from Latin occultare ‘secrete’, frequentative of occulere ‘conceal’, based on celare ‘to hide’; the adjective and noun from occult- ‘covered over’, from the verb occulere .

Question 40

Quail

Answer 40

verb.
Recoil in fear, more generally falter

We are told it is urgent to tackle climate change, yet those responsible for making the difficult decisions to do so quail before an electorate that is not always ready to make the necessary changes.

~Unknown~

Question 41

Stand

Answer 41

noun.
A group of plants (especially trees), a flock of game birds, a stop on tour to play at a venue for one or more performances

Members Chaeryeong, Lia, Ryujin, Yeji and Yuna will embark on their first world tour in support of Checkmate, beginning with a two-night stand at Seoul’s Olympic Handball Gymnasium on Aug. 6-7.

Question 42

Anodyne

Answer 42

adj, noun.
(Something which is) unobjectionable or unremarkable or pain-relieving

Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, Zoom has evolved from being anodyne conference call software to a household name symbolizing much of remote-work life.

mid 16th century: via Latin from Greek anōdunos ‘painless’, from an- ‘without’ + odunē ‘pain’

Question 43

Apotheosis

Answer 43

adj.
Peak, deification

Much of the fashion associated with the ’60s was actually introduced – or reached its apotheosis – in the early and middle years of the ’70s.

late 16th century: via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek apotheōsis, from apotheoun ‘make a god of’, from apo ‘from’ + theos ‘god’.

Question 44

Calumny

Answer 44

noun, verb.
Slander

The truth exploded a few years into the pontificate of Francis, who, disastrously, chose to believe his bishops over the abused, even accusing victims of calumny.

from the Middle French word calomnie of the same meaning. Calomnie, in turn, derives from the Latin word calumnia, (meaning “false accusation,” “false claim,” or “trickery”), which itself traces to the Latin verb calvi, meaning “to deceive.”

Question 45

Tyro

Answer 45

adj.
beginner, novice

Outfitted in progressively more luscious frocks by Susan Hilferty, Feldstein makes a journey from nervy tyro to nervier pro.

late Middle English: from Latin tiro, medieval Latin tyro ‘recruit’

Question 46

Puerile

Answer 46

adj.
Childish and immature

Tanya feels like a fuller version of other characters that Coolidge has played — washed-up and spaced out, simultaneously puerile and battered — but with backstory enough to justify her sadness.

late 16th century (in the sense ‘like a boy’): from French puéril or Latin puerilis, from puer ‘boy’

Question 47

Minatory

Answer 47

adj.
Menacing, threatening

Part of the book was a minatory warning that obsessive quests have a tendency not to end well.

mid 16th century: from late Latin minatorius, from minat- ‘threatened’, from the verb minari

Question 48

Salutary

Answer 48

adj.
Having a beneficial effect

Predictable cash flows have a salutary impact in an economy where uncertainty is the default mode.

late Middle English (as a noun in the sense ‘remedy’): from French salutaire or Latin salutaris, from salus, salut- ‘health’.

Question 49

Celerity

Answer 49

noun.
Speed, swiftness

The difference between now and centuries ago is the frequency and celerity with which materials move between continents.

late 15th century: from Old French celerite, from Latin celeritas, from celer ‘swift’

Question 50

Chimera

Answer 50

noun.
A thing which is hoped for, but illusory, an unrealizable dream.

late Middle English: via Latin from Greek khimaira ‘she-goat or chimera’.

The guerrillas also demand benefits to communities affected by environmentally damaging industries, but this has mostly been a chimera.