READING COMPREHENSION Flashcards
ABJURE
ab·jure
/abˈjo͝or, əbˈjo͝or/
verb formal
solemnly renounce (a belief, cause, or claim).
“his refusal to abjure the Catholic faith”
SYNONYMS: renounce, relinquish, reject, forgo, disavow, abandon, deny, repudiate, give up, wash one’s hands of.
CONFLAGRATION
con·fla·gra·tion
ˌkänfləˈɡrāSH(ə)n/
noun
an extensive fire that destroys a great deal of land or property.
“the conflagration spread rapidly through the wooden buildings”
SYNONYMS: fire, blaze, flames, inferno, firestorm
INURBANE
inurbane
[in-ur-beyn]
1. not urbane; lacking in courtesy, refinement, etc.
ALLUVIAL
al·lu·vi·al əˈlo͞ovēəl adjective adjective: alluvial relating to or derived from alluvium. "rich alluvial soils"
al·lu·vi·um
əˈlo͞ovēəm
noun
a deposit of clay, silt, sand, and gravel left by flowing streams in a river valley or delta, typically producing fertile soil.
CONCILIATORY
con·cil·i·a·to·ry kənˈsilēəˌtôrē adjective intended or likely to placate or pacify. "a conciliatory approach" synonyms: propitiatory, placatory, appeasing, pacifying, mollifying, peacemaking "a conciliatory gesture"
DESTITUTE
des·ti·tute
ˈdestəˌt(y)o͞ot/
adjective
without the basic necessities of life.
“the charity cares for destitute children”
synonyms: penniless, poor, impoverished, poverty-stricken, impecunious, without a cent/penny (to one’s name); More
not having.
“towns destitute of commerce”
synonyms: devoid of, bereft of, deprived of, in need of;
RHETORIC
rhet·o·ric
ˈredərik/
noun
the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.
synonyms: oratory, eloquence, command of language, way with words
“a form of rhetoric”
EXEMPLIFY
ex·em·pli·fy
iɡˈzempləˌfī/
verb
be a typical example of.
“rock bands that best exemplify the spirit of the age”
synonyms: typify, epitomize, be a typical example of, represent, be representative of, symbolize
“this story exemplifies current trends”
give an example of; illustrate by giving an example.
synonyms: illustrate, give an example of, demonstrate
“he exemplified his point with an anecdote”
FACILITATE
fa·cil·i·tate
fəˈsiləˌtāt/
verb
make (an action or process) easy or easier.
“schools were located on the same campus to facilitate the sharing of resources”
CODIFY
cod·i·fy
ˈkädəˌfī,ˈkōdəˌfī/
verb
past tense: codified; past participle: codified
arrange (laws or rules) into a systematic code.
synonyms: systematize, systemize, organize, arrange, order, structure; More
arrange according to a plan or system.
“Verdi helped codify an international operatic culture”
DROGUE
drogue
drōɡ/
noun
a device, typically conical or funnel-shaped with open ends, towed behind a boat, aircraft, or other moving object to reduce speed or improve stability.
QUINTESSENTIAL
quin·tes·sen·tial
ˌkwin(t)əˈsen(t)SHəl/
adjective
representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
“he was the quintessential tough guy—strong, silent, and self-contained”
synonyms: typical, prototypical, stereotypical, archetypal, classic, model, standard, stock, representative, conventional;
DIPLOMATIC
dip·lo·mat·ic
ˌdipləˈmadik/
adjective
of or concerning the profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations.
“diplomatic relations between the United States and Britain”
synonyms: ambassadorial, consular
“diplomatic activity”
TRANSMOGRIFY
trans·mog·ri·fy
transˈmäɡrəˌfī,tranzˈmäɡrəˌfī/
verbhumorous
transform, especially in a surprising or magical manner.
“the cucumbers that were ultimately transmogrified into pickles”
QUARK
quark
kwärk/Submit
nounPHYSICS
any of a number of subatomic particles carrying a fractional electric charge, postulated as building blocks of the hadrons. Quarks have not been directly observed, but theoretical predictions based on their existence have been confirmed experimentally.
