SAT 1 Flashcards
Abhor
to regard with extreme repugnance or aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate. | (transitive) to detest vehemently; find repugnant; reject
Bigot
a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion. | a person who is intolerant of any ideas other than his or her own, esp on religion, politics, or race
Counterfeit
made in imitation so as to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; not genuine; forged: counterfeit dollar bills. | pretended; unreal: counterfeit grief. | an imitation intended to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; forgery. | Archaic. a copy. | Archaic. a close likeness; portrait. | Obsolete. impostor; pretender. | to make a counterfeit of; imitate fraudulently; forge. | to resemble. | to simulate. | to make counterfeits, as of money.
Enfranchise
to grant a franchise to; admit to citizenship, especially to the right of voting. | to endow (a city, constituency, etc.) with municipal or parliamentary rights. | to set free; liberate, as from slavery. | to grant the power of voting to, esp as a right of citizenship | to liberate, as from servitude | (in England) to invest (a town, city, etc) with the right to be represented in Parliament | (English law) to convert (leasehold) to freehold
Hamper
to hold back; hinder; impede: A steady rain hampered the progress of the work. | to interfere with; curtail: The dancers’ movements were hampered by their elaborate costumes. | Nautical. gear that, although necessary to the operations of a vessel, is sometimes in the way. | a large basket or wickerwork receptacle, usually with a cover: picnic hamper; clothes hamper. | British. such a basket together with its contents, especially food. | (transitive) to prevent the progress or free movement of | (nautical) gear aboard a vessel that, though essential, is often in the way | a large basket, usually with a cover | (Brit) such a basket and its contents, usually food | (US) a laundry basket
Kindle
to start (a fire); cause (a flame, blaze, etc.) to begin burning. | to set fire to or ignite (fuel or any combustible matter). | to excite; stir up or set going; animate; rouse; inflame: He kindled their hopes of victory. | to light up, illuminate, or make bright: Happiness kindled her eyes. | to begin to burn, as combustible matter, a light, fire, or flame. | to become aroused or animated. | to become lighted up, bright, or glowing, as the sky at dawn or the eyes with ardor. | (of animals, especially rabbits) to bear (young); produce (offspring). | (of animals, especially rabbits) to give birth, as to a litter. | a litter of kittens, rabbits, etc.
Noxious
harmful or injurious to health or physical well-being: noxious fumes. | morally harmful; corrupting; pernicious: a noxious plan to spread dissension. | poisonous or harmful | harmful to the mind or morals; corrupting
Placid
pleasantly calm or peaceful; unruffled; tranquil; serenely quiet or undisturbed: placid waters. | having a calm appearance or nature
Remuneration
the act of remunerating. | something that remunerates; reward; pay: He received little remuneration for his services. | the act of remunerating | pay; recompense
Talisman
a stone, ring, or other object, engraved with figures or characters supposed to possess occult powers and worn as an amulet or charm. | any amulet or charm. | anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings or actions. | a stone or other small object, usually inscribed or carved, believed to protect the wearer from evil influences | anything thought to have magical or protective powers
Abrasive
any material or substance used for grinding, polishing, etc., as emery, pumice, or sandpaper. | tending to abrade; causing abrasion; abrading. | tending to annoy or cause ill will; overly aggressive: an abrasive personality. | a substance or material such as sandpaper, pumice, or emery, used for cleaning, grinding, smoothing, or polishing | causing abrasion; grating; rough | irritating in manner or personality; causing tension or annoyance
Bilk
to defraud; cheat: He bilked the government of almost a million dollars. | to evade payment of (a debt). | to frustrate: a career bilked by poor health. | to escape from; elude: to bilk one’s pursuers. | a cheat; swindler. | a trick; fraud; deceit. | to balk; thwart | (often foll by of) to cheat or deceive, esp to avoid making payment to | to escape from; elude | (cribbage) to play a card that hinders (one’s opponent) from scoring in his or her crib
Covert
concealed; secret; disguised. | covered; sheltered. | Law. (of a wife) under the protection of one’s husband. | a covering; cover. | a shelter or hiding place. | concealment or disguise. | Hunting. a thicket giving shelter to wild animals or game. | Also called tectrix. Ornithology. one of the small feathers that cover the bases of the large feathers of the wings and tail. | covert cloth. | concealed or secret: covert jealousy
Engender
to produce, cause, or give rise to: Hatred engenders violence. | to beget; procreate. | to be produced or caused; come into existence: Conditions for a war were engendering in Europe. | (transitive) to bring about or give rise to; produce or cause | to be born or cause to be born; bring or come into being
Hangar
a shed or shelter. | any relatively wide structure used for housing airplanes or airships. | to keep (an aircraft) in a hangar: She spent a fortune hangaring her plane. | a large workshop or building for storing and maintaining aircraft
Knotty
having knots; full of knots : a knotty piece of wood. | involved, intricate, or difficult: a knotty problem. | (of wood, rope, etc) full of or characterized by knots | extremely difficult or intricate
Nuance
a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, response, etc. | a very slight difference or variation in color or tone. | a subtle difference in colour, meaning, tone, etc; a shade or graduation | to give subtle differences to: carefully nuanced words
Plagiarism
an act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization and the representation of that author’s work as one’s own, as by not crediting the original author: It is said that he plagiarized Thoreau’s plagiarism of a line written by Montaigne. Synonyms: appropriation, infringement, piracy, counterfeiting; theft, borrowing, cribbing, passing off. | a piece of writing or other work reflecting such unauthorized use or imitation: “These two manuscripts are clearly plagiarisms,” the editor said, tossing them angrily on the floor. | the act of plagiarizing | something plagiarized
Renown
widespread and high repute; fame. | Obsolete. report or rumor. | widespread reputation, esp of a good kind; fame
Tangent
in immediate physical contact; touching. | Geometry. touching at a single point, as a tangent in relation to a curve or surface. in contact along a single line or element, as a plane with a cylinder. | tangential (def 3). | Geometry. a line or a plane that touches a curve or a surface at a point so that it is closer to the curve in the vicinity of the point than any other line or plane drawn through the point. | Trigonometry. (in a right triangle) the ratio of the side opposite a given angle to the side adjacent to the angle. Also called tan. (of an angle) a trigonometric function equal to the ratio of the ordinate of the end point of the arc to the abscissa of this end point, the origin being at the center of the circle on which the arc lies and the initial point of the arc being on the x-axis. Abbreviation: tg, tgn. (originally) a straight line perpendicular to the radius of a circle at one end of an arc and extending from this point to the produced radius which cuts off the arc at its other end. | the upright metal blade, fastened on the inner end of a clavichord key, that rises and strikes the string when the outer end of the key is depressed. | off on or at a tangent, digressing suddenly from one course of action or thought and turning to another: The speaker flew off on a tangent. | a geometric line, curve, plane, or curved surface that touches another curve or surface at one point but does not intersect it | (of an angle) a trigonometric function that in a right-angled triangle is the ratio of the length of the opposite side to that of the adjacent side; the ratio of sine to cosine tan | the straight part on a survey line between curves
Abasement
to reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade. | Archaic. to lower; put or bring down: He abased his head. | to humble or belittle (oneself, etc) | to lower or reduce, as in rank or estimation
Billowing
a great wave or surge of the sea. | any surging mass: billows of smoke. | to rise or roll in or like billows; surge. | to swell out, puff up, etc., as by the action of wind: flags billowing in the breeze. | to make rise, surge, swell, or the like: A sudden wind billowed the tent alarmingly. | a large sea wave | a swelling or surging mass, as of smoke or sound | a large atmospheric wave, usually in the lee of a hill | (pl) (poetic) the sea itself | to rise up, swell out, or cause to rise up or swell out
Cower
to crouch, as in fear or shame. | (intransitive) to crouch or cringe, as in fear
Enhance
to raise to a higher degree; intensify; magnify: The candelight enhanced her beauty. | to raise the value or price of: Rarity enhances the worth of old coins. | (transitive) to intensify or increase in quality, value, power, etc; improve; augment
Harangue
a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; diatribe. | a long, passionate, and vehement speech, especially one delivered before a public gathering. | any long, pompous speech or writing of a tediously hortatory or didactic nature; sermonizing lecture or discourse. | to address in a harangue. | to deliver a harangue. | to address (a person or crowd) in an angry, vehement, or forcefully persuasive way | a loud, forceful, or angry speech
Labyrinth
an intricate combination of paths or passages in which it is difficult to find one’s way or to reach the exit. Synonyms: maze, network, web. | a maze of paths bordered by high hedges, as in a park or garden, for the amusement of those who search for a way out. | a complicated or tortuous arrangement, as of streets or buildings. Synonyms: warren, maze, jungle, snarl, tangle, knot. | any confusingly intricate state of things or events; a bewildering complex: His papers were lost in an hellish bureaucratic labyrinth. After the death of her daughter, she wandered in a labyrinth of sorrow for what seemed like a decade. Synonyms: wilderness, jungle, forest; morass. | (initial capital letter) Classical Mythology. a vast maze built in Crete by Daedalus, at the command of King Minos, to house the Minotaur. | Anatomy. the internal ear, consisting of a bony portion (bony labyrinth) and a membranous portion (membranous labyrinth) the aggregate of air chambers in the ethmoid bone, between the eye and the upper part of the nose. | a mazelike pattern inlaid in the pavement of a church. | Also called acoustic labyrinth, acoustical labyrinth. Audio. a loudspeaker enclosure with air chambers at the rear for absorbing sound waves radiating in one direction so as to prevent their interference with waves radiated in another direction. | a mazelike network of tunnels, chambers, or paths, either natural or man-made Compare maze (sense 1) | any complex or confusing system of streets, passages, etc
Nullify
to render or declare legally void or inoperative: to nullify a contract. | to deprive (something) of value or effectiveness; make futile or of no consequence. | to render legally void or of no effect | to render ineffective or useless; cancel out
Plaintiff
a person who brings suit in a court (opposed to defendant ). | (formerly) a person who brings a civil action in a court of law Now replaced by claimant Compare defendant (sense 1)
Replete
abundantly supplied or provided; filled (usually followed by with): a speech replete with sentimentality. | stuffed or gorged with food and drink. | complete: a scholarly survey, replete in its notes and citations. | Entomology. (among honey ants) a worker with a distensible crop in which honeydew and nectar are stored for the use of the colony. | (often foll by with) copiously supplied (with); abounding (in) | having one’s appetite completely or excessively satisfied by food and drink; stuffed; gorged; satiated
Tangible
capable of being touched; discernible by the touch; material or substantial. | real or actual, rather than imaginary or visionary: the tangible benefits of sunshine. | definite; not vague or elusive: no tangible grounds for suspicion. | (of an asset) having actual physical existence, as real estate or chattels, and therefore capable of being assigned a value in monetary terms. | something tangible, especially a tangible asset. | capable of being touched or felt; having real substance: a tangible object | capable of being clearly grasped by the mind; substantial rather than imaginary: tangible evidence | having a physical existence; corporeal: tangible assets | (often pl) a tangible thing or asset |
Abrogate
to abolish by formal or official means; annul by an authoritative act; repeal: to abrogate a law. | to put aside; put an end to. | (transitive) to cancel or revoke formally or officially; repeal; annul
Blasphemy
impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things. | Judaism. an act of cursing or reviling God. pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) in the original, now forbidden manner instead of using a substitute pronunciation such as Adonai. | Theology. the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God. | irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.: He uttered blasphemies against life itself. | blasphemous behaviour or language | (law) Also called blasphemous libel. the crime committed if a person insults, offends, or vilifies the deity, Christ, or the Christian religion
Credible
capable of being believed; believable: a credible statement. | worthy of belief or confidence; trustworthy: a credible witness. | capable of being believed | trustworthy or reliable: the latest claim is the only one to involve a credible witness
Enigma
a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation: His disappearance is an enigma that has given rise to much speculation. | a person of puzzling or contradictory character: To me he has always been an enigma, one minute completely insensitive, the next moved to tears. | a saying, question, picture, etc., containing a hidden meaning; riddle. | (initial capital letter) a German-built enciphering machine developed for commercial use in the early 1920s and later adapted and appropriated by German and other Axis powers for military use through World War II. | a person, thing, or situation that is mysterious, puzzling, or ambiguous
Harbingers
a person who goes ahead and makes known the approach of another; herald. | anything that foreshadows a future event; omen; sign: Frost is a harbinger of winter. | a person sent in advance of troops, a royal train, etc., to provide or secure lodgings and other accommodations. | to act as harbinger to; herald the coming of. | a person or thing that announces or indicates the approach of something; forerunner | (obsolete) a person sent in advance of a royal party or army to obtain lodgings for them | (transitive) to announce the approach or arrival of
Labyrinthine
of, pertaining to, or resembling a labyrinth. | complicated; tortuous: the labyrinthine byways of modern literature. | of or relating to a labyrinth | resembling a labyrinth in complexity
Nuzzle
to burrow or root with the nose, snout, etc., as an animal does: a rabbit nuzzling into the snow. | to thrust the nose, muzzle, etc.: The dog nuzzled up to his master. | to lie very close to someone or something; cuddle or snuggle up. | to root up with the nose, snout, etc.: training pigs to nuzzle truffles from the ground. | to touch or rub with the nose, snout, muzzle, etc. | to thrust the nose, muzzle, snout, etc., against or into: The horse was nuzzling my pocket for sugar. | to thrust (the nose or head), as into something. | to lie very close to; cuddle or snuggle up to. | an affectionate embrace or cuddle. | to push or rub gently against the nose or snout
Plaudit
an enthusiastic expression of approval: Her portrayal of Juliet won the plaudits of the critics. | a demonstration or round of applause, as for some approved or admired performance. | an expression of enthusiastic approval or approbation | a round of applause
Reprehensible
deserving of reproof, rebuke, or censure; blameworthy. | open to criticism or rebuke; blameworthy
Tardy
late; behind time; not on time: How tardy were you today? | moving or acting slowly; slow; sluggish. | delaying through reluctance. | occurring later than expected: tardy retribution | slow in progress, growth, etc: a tardy reader
Absolution
act of absolving; a freeing from blame or guilt; release from consequences, obligations, or penalties. | state of being absolved. | Roman Catholic Theology. a remission of sin or of the punishment for sin, made by a priest in the sacrament of penance on the ground of authority received from Christ. the formula declaring such remission. | Protestant Theology. a declaration or assurance of divine forgiveness to penitent believers, made after confession of sins. | the act of absolving or the state of being absolved; release from guilt, obligation, or punishment | (Christianity) a formal remission of sin pronounced by a priest in the sacrament of penance the prescribed form of words granting such a remission
Blatant
brazenly obvious; flagrant: a blatant error in simple addition; a blatant lie. | offensively noisy or loud; clamorous: blatant radios. | tastelessly conspicuous: the blatant colors of the dress. | glaringly conspicuous or obvious: a blatant lie | offensively noticeable: blatant disregard for a person’s feelings | offensively noisy
Creditable
bringing or deserving credit, honor, reputation, or esteem. | deserving credit, honour, etc; praiseworthy | (obsolete) credible
Ensconce
to settle securely or snugly: I found her in the library, ensconced in an armchair. | to cover or shelter; hide securely: He ensconced himself in the closet in order to eavesdrop. | to establish or settle firmly or comfortably: ensconced in a chair | to place in safety; hide
Hasten
to move or act with haste; proceed with haste; hurry: to hasten to a place. | to cause to hasten; accelerate: to hasten someone from a room; to hasten the arrival of a happier time. | (may take an infinitive) to hurry or cause to hurry; rush | (transitive) to be anxious (to say something): I hasten to add that we are just good friends
Laceration
the result of lacerating; a rough, jagged tear. | the act of lacerating.
Obdurate
unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding. | stubbornly resistant to moral influence; persistently impenitent: an obdurate sinner. | not easily moved by feelings or supplication; hardhearted | impervious to persuasion, esp to moral persuasion
Plausible
having an appearance of truth or reason; seemingly worthy of approval or acceptance; credible; believable: a plausible excuse; a plausible plot. | well-spoken and apparently, but often deceptively, worthy of confidence or trust: a plausible commentator. | apparently reasonable, valid, truthful, etc: a plausible excuse | apparently trustworthy or believable: a plausible speaker
Reprieve
to delay the impending punishment or sentence of (a condemned person). | to relieve temporarily from any evil. | a respite from impending punishment, as from execution of a sentence of death. | a warrant authorizing this. | any respite or temporary relief. | to postpone or remit the punishment of (a person, esp one condemned to death) | to give temporary relief to (a person or thing), esp from otherwise irrevocable harm: the government has reprieved the company with a huge loan | a postponement or remission of punishment, esp of a person condemned to death | a warrant granting a postponement | a temporary relief from pain or harm; respite
Tawdry
(of finery, trappings, etc.) gaudy; showy and cheap. | low or mean; base: tawdry motives. | cheap, gaudy apparel. | cheap, showy, and of poor quality: tawdry jewellery
Abstain
to hold oneself back voluntarily, especially from something regarded as improper or unhealthy (usually followed by from): to abstain from eating meat. | to refrain from casting one’s vote: a referendum in which two delegates abstained. | to choose to refrain: he abstained from alcohol | to refrain from voting, esp in a committee, legislature, etc
Blighted
Plant Pathology. the rapid and extensive discoloration, wilting, and death of plant tissues. a disease so characterized. | any cause of impairment, destruction, ruin, or frustration: Extravagance was the blight of the family. | the state or result of being blighted or deteriorated; dilapidation; decay: urban blight. | to cause to wither or decay; blast: Frost blighted the crops. | to destroy; ruin; frustrate: Illness blighted his hopes. | to suffer blight. | any plant disease characterized by withering and shrivelling without rotting See also potato blight | any factor, such as bacterial attack or air pollution, that causes the symptoms of blight in plants | a person or thing that mars or prevents growth, improvement, or prosperity | an ugly urban district
Credulous
willing to believe or trust too readily, especially without proper or adequate evidence; gullible. | marked by or arising from credulity : a credulous rumor. | tending to believe something on little evidence | arising from or characterized by credulity: credulous beliefs
Enshroud
to shroud; conceal. | (transitive) to cover or hide with or as if with a shroud: the sky was enshrouded in mist
Haughtiness
disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; supercilious: haughty aristocrats; a haughty salesclerk. | Archaic. lofty or noble; exalted. | having or showing arrogance | (archaic) noble or exalted
Lachrymose
suggestive of or tending to cause tears; mournful. | given to shedding tears readily; tearful. | given to weeping; tearful | mournful; sad
Obfuscate
to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy. | to make obscure or unclear: to obfuscate a problem with extraneous information. | to darken. | to obscure or darken | to perplex or bewilder
Plethora
overabundance; excess: a plethora of advice and a paucity of assistance. | Pathology Archaic. a morbid condition due to excess of red corpuscles in the blood or increase in the quantity of blood. | superfluity or excess; overabundance | (pathol, obsolete) a condition caused by dilation of superficial blood vessels, characterized esp by a reddish face
Repudiate
to reject as having no authority or binding force: to repudiate a claim. | to cast off or disown: to repudiate a son. | to reject with disapproval or condemnation: to repudiate a new doctrine. | to reject with denial: to repudiate a charge as untrue. | to refuse to acknowledge and pay (a debt), as a state, municipality, etc. | to reject the authority or validity of; refuse to accept or ratify: Congress repudiated the treaty that the President had negotiated | to refuse to acknowledge or pay (a debt) | to cast off or disown (a son, lover, etc)
Tedium
the quality or state of being wearisome; irksomeness; tediousness. | the state of being bored or the quality of being boring; monotony
Abstemious
sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet. | characterized by abstinence: an abstemious life. | sparing: an abstemious diet. | moderate or sparing, esp in the consumption of alcohol or food; temperate
Blithe
joyous, merry, or gay in disposition; glad; cheerful: Everyone loved her for her blithe spirit. | without thought or regard; carefree; heedless: a blithe indifference to anyone’s feelings. | a female given name. | very happy or cheerful | heedless; casual and indifferent
Crepuscular
of, pertaining to, or resembling twilight; dim; indistinct. | Zoology. appearing or active in the twilight, as certain bats and insects. | of or like twilight; dim | (of certain insects, birds, and other animals) active at twilight or just before dawn
Enunciation
an act or manner of enunciating. | utterance or pronunciation. | a formal announcement or statement: the enunciation of a doctrine.
Headstrong
determined to have one’s own way; willful; stubborn; obstinate: a headstrong young man. | proceeding from or exhibiting willfulness: a headstrong course. | self-willed; obstinate | (of an action) heedless; rash
Lackluster
lacking brilliance or radiance; dull: lackluster eyes. | lacking liveliness, vitality, spirit, or enthusiasm: a lackluster performance. | a lack of brilliance or vitality. | lacking force, brilliance, or vitality
Objective
something that one’s efforts or actions are intended to attain or accomplish; purpose; goal; target: the objective of a military attack; the objective of a fund-raising drive. | Grammar. Also called objective case. (in English and some other languages) a case specialized for the use of a form as the object of a transitive verb or of a preposition, as him in The boy hit him, or me in He comes to me with his troubles. a word in that case. | Also called object glass, object lens, objective lens. Optics. (in a telescope, microscope, camera, or other optical system) the lens or combination of lenses that first receives the rays from the object and forms the image in the focal plane of the eyepiece, as in a microscope, or on a plate or screen, as in a camera. | being the object or goal of one’s efforts or actions. | not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased: an objective opinion. | intent upon or dealing with things external to the mind rather than with thoughts or feelings, as a person or a book. | being the object of perception or thought; belonging to the object of thought rather than to the thinking subject (opposed to subjective ). | of or pertaining to something that can be known, or to something that is an object or a part of an object; existing independent of thought or an observer as part of reality. | Grammar. pertaining to the use of a form as the object of a transitive verb or of a preposition. (in English and some other languages) noting the objective case. similar to such a case in meaning. (in case grammar) pertaining to the semantic role of a noun phrase that denotes something undergoing a change of state or bearing a neutral relation to the verb, as the rock in The rock moved or in The child threw the rock. | being part of or pertaining to an object to be drawn: an objective plane.
Pliable
easily bent; flexible; supple: pliable leather. | easily influenced or persuaded; yielding: the pliable mind of youth. | adjusting readily to change; adaptable. | easily moulded, bent, influenced, or altered
Rescind
to abrogate; annul; revoke; repeal. | to invalidate (an act, measure, etc.) by a later action or a higher authority. | (transitive) to annul or repeal
Temper
a particular state of mind or feelings. | habit of mind, especially with respect to irritability or patience, outbursts of anger, or the like; disposition: an even temper. | heat of mind or passion, shown in outbursts of anger, resentment, etc. | calm disposition or state of mind: to be out of temper. | a substance added to something to modify its properties or qualities. | Metallurgy. the degree of hardness and strength imparted to a metal, as by quenching, heat treatment, or cold working. the percentage of carbon in tool steel. the operation of tempering. | Archaic. a middle course; compromise. | Obsolete. the constitution or character of a substance. | to moderate or mitigate: to temper justice with mercy. | to soften or tone down.
Abstruse
hard to understand; recondite; esoteric: abstruse theories. | Obsolete. secret; hidden. | not easy to understand; recondite; esoteric
Blunderbuss
a short musket of wide bore with expanded muzzle to scatter shot, bullets, or slugs at close range. | an insensitive, blundering person. | an obsolete short musket with large bore and flared muzzle, used to scatter shot at short range | (informal) a clumsy unsubtle person
Cringe
to shrink, bend, or crouch, especially in fear or servility; cower. | to fawn. | servile or fawning deference. | to shrink or flinch, esp in fear or servility | to behave in a servile or timid way | (informal) to wince in embarrassment or distaste to experience a sudden feeling of embarrassment or distaste | the act of cringing | (Austral) the cultural cringe, subservience to overseas cultural standards
Envenom
to impregnate with venom; make poisonous. | to embitter. | to fill or impregnate with venom; make poisonous | to fill with bitterness or malice
Hedonism
the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good. | devotion to pleasure as a way of life: The later Roman emperors were notorious for their hedonism. | (ethics) the doctrine that moral value can be defined in terms of pleasure See utilitarianism the doctrine that the pursuit of pleasure is the highest good | the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of principle | indulgence in sensual pleasures
Laconic
using few words; expressing much in few words; concise: a laconic reply. | (of a person’s speech) using few words; terse
Oblique
neither perpendicular nor parallel to a given line or surface; slanting; sloping. | (of a solid) not having the axis perpendicular to the plane of the base. | diverging from a given straight line or course. | not straight or direct, as a course. | indirectly stated or expressed; not straightforward: oblique remarks about the candidate’s honesty. | indirectly aimed at or reached, as ends or results; deviously achieved. | morally, ethically, or mentally wrong; underhand; perverse. | Typography. (of a letter) slanting toward the right, as a form of sans-serif, gothic, or square-serif type. | Rhetoric. indirect (applied to discourse in which the original words of a speaker or writer are assimilated to the language of the reporter). | Anatomy. pertaining to muscles running obliquely in the body as opposed to those running transversely or longitudinally.
Plumage
the entire feathery covering of a bird. | feathers collectively. | the layer of feathers covering the body of a bird
Resignation
the act of resigning. | a formal statement, document, etc., stating that one gives up an office, position, etc. | an accepting, unresisting attitude, state, etc.; submission; acquiescence: to meet one’s fate with resignation. | the act of resigning | a formal document stating one’s intention to resign | a submissive unresisting attitude; passive acquiescence
Tenacious
holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often followed by of): a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits. | highly retentive: a tenacious memory. | pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate. | adhesive or sticky; viscous or glutinous. | holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough. | holding or grasping firmly; forceful: a tenacious grip | retentive: a tenacious memory | stubborn or persistent: a tenacious character | holding together firmly; tough or cohesive: tenacious cement | tending to stick or adhere: tenacious mud
Accolade
any award, honor, or laudatory notice: The play received accolades from the press. | a light touch on the shoulder with the flat side of the sword or formerly by an embrace, done in the ceremony of conferring knighthood. | the ceremony itself. | Music. a brace joining several staves. | Architecture. an archivolt or hood molding having more or less the form of an ogee arch. a decoration having more or less the form of an ogee arch, cut into a lintel or flat arch. | strong praise or approval; acclaim | an award or honour | the ceremonial gesture used to confer knighthood, originally an embrace, now a touch on the shoulder with a sword | a rare word for brace (sense 7) | (architect) a curved ornamental moulding, esp one having the shape of an ogee arch
Bolster
a long, often cylindrical, cushion or pillow for a bed, sofa, etc. | anything resembling this in form or in use as a support. | any pillow, cushion, or pad. | Nautical. Also called bolster plate. a circular casting on the side of a vessel, through which an anchor chain passes. a timber used as a temporary support. a beam for holding lines or rigging without chafing. a bag filled with buoyant material, fitted into a small boat. | Metalworking. an anvillike support for the lower die of a drop forge. | Masonry. a timber or the like connecting two ribs of a centering. a chisel with a blade splayed toward the edge, used for cutting bricks. | Carpentry. a horizontal timber on a post for lessening the free span of a beam. | a structural member on which one end of a bridge truss rests. | to support with or as with a pillow or cushion. | to add to, support, or uphold (sometimes followed by up): They bolstered their morale by singing. He bolstered up his claim with new evidence.
Cryptic
mysterious in meaning; puzzling; ambiguous: a cryptic message. | abrupt; terse; short: a cryptic note. | secret; occult: a cryptic writing. | involving or using cipher, code, etc. | Zoology. fitted for concealing; serving to camouflage. | a cryptogram, especially one designed as a puzzle. | hidden; secret; occult | (esp of comments, sayings, etc) obscure in meaning | (of the coloration of animals) tending to conceal by disguising or camouflaging the shape |
Ephemeral
lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory: the ephemeral joys of childhood. | lasting but one day: an ephemeral flower. | anything short-lived, as certain insects. | lasting for only a short time; transitory; short-lived: ephemeral pleasure | a short-lived organism, such as the mayfly | a plant that completes its life cycle in less than one year, usually less than six months
Hedonist
a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification. | Also, hedonistic. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a hedonist or hedonism.
Lamentation
the act of lamenting or expressing grief. | a lament. | Lamentations, (used with a singular verb) a book of the Bible, traditionally ascribed to Jeremiah. Abbreviation: Lam. | a lament; expression of sorrow | the act of lamenting
Obliterate
to remove or destroy all traces of; do away with; destroy completely. | to blot out or render undecipherable (writing, marks, etc.); efface. | (transitive) to destroy every trace of; wipe out completely
Plummet
Also called plumb bob. a piece of lead or some other weight attached to a line, used for determining perpendicularity, for sounding, etc.; the bob of a plumb line. | something that weighs down or depresses. | to plunge. | (intransitive) to drop down; plunge | another word for plumb bob | a lead plumb used by anglers to determine the depth of water
Resolution
a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group. Compare concurrent resolution, joint resolution. | a decision or determination; a resolve : to make a firm resolution to do something. Her resolution to clear her parents’ name allowed her no other focus in life. | the act determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.; the act of resolving. | firmness of purpose; the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute : She showed her resolution by not attending the meeting. | the act or process of separating into constituent or elementary parts or resolving. | the resulting state. | Optics. the act, process, or capability of distinguishing between two separate but adjacent objects or sources of light or between two nearly equal wavelengths. Compare resolving power. | a solution, accommodation, or settling of a problem, controversy, etc. | Music. the progression of a voice part or of the harmony as a whole from a dissonance to a consonance. the tone or chord to which a dissonance is resolved. | reduction to a simpler form; conversion.
Tentative
of the nature of or made or done as a trial, experiment, or attempt; experimental: a tentative report on her findings. | unsure; uncertain; not definite or positive; hesitant: a tentative smile on his face. | provisional or experimental; conjectural | hesitant, uncertain, or cautious
Acquiesce
to assent tacitly; submit or comply silently or without protest; agree; consent: to acquiesce halfheartedly in a business plan. | (intransitive; often foll by in or to) to comply (with); assent (to) without protest
Bombast
speech too pompous for an occasion; pretentious words. | Obsolete. cotton or other material used to stuff garments; padding. | Obsolete, bombastic. | pompous and grandiloquent language | (obsolete) material used for padding
Curtail
to cut short; cut off a part of; abridge; reduce; diminish. | a horizontal, spiral termination to the lower end of a stair railing. | Also called curtail step. a starting step having a scroll termination to one or both ends of the tread. | (transitive) to cut short; abridge
Epicure
a person who cultivates a refined taste, especially in food and wine; connoisseur. | Archaic. a person dedicated to sensual enjoyment. | a person who cultivates a discriminating palate for the enjoyment of good food and drink; gourmet | a person devoted to sensual pleasures
Heed
to give careful attention to: He did not heed the warning. | to give attention; have regard. | careful attention; notice; observation (usually with give or take). | close and careful attention; notice (often in the phrases give, pay, or take heed) | to pay close attention to (someone or something)
Lampoon
a sharp, often virulent satire directed against an individual or institution; a work of literature, art, or the like, ridiculing severely the character or behavior of a person, society, etc. | to mock or ridicule in a lampoon: to lampoon important leaders in the government. | a satire in prose or verse ridiculing a person, literary work, etc | (transitive) to attack or satirize in a lampoon
Oblivious
unmindful; unconscious; unaware (usually followed by of or to): She was oblivious of his admiration. | forgetful; without remembrance or memory: oblivious of my former failure. | Archaic. inducing forgetfulness. | foll by to or of. unaware or forgetful
Podium
a small platform for the conductor of an orchestra, for a public speaker, etc. | Architecture. a low wall forming a base for a construction, as a colonnade or dome. a stereobate for a classical temple, especially one with perpendicular sides. the masonry supporting a classical temple. a raised platform surrounding the arena of an ancient Roman amphitheater having on it the seats of privileged spectators. | lectern. | a counter or booth, as one at an airport for handling tickets or dispensing information. | Zoology, Anatomy. a foot. | Botany. a footstalk or stipe. | a combining form meaning “footlike part” of an organism, used in the formation of compound words: monopodium; pseudo-podium. | a small raised platform used by lecturers, orchestra conductors, etc; dais | a plinth that supports a colonnade or wall | a low wall surrounding the arena of an ancient amphitheatre
Resonant
resounding or echoing, as sounds: the resonant thundering of cannons being fired. | deep and full of resonance : a resonant voice. | pertaining to resonance. | producing resonance; causing amplification or sustention of sound. | pertaining to a system in a state of resonance, especially with respect to sound. | Phonetics. a vowel or a voiced consonant or semivowel that is neither a stop nor an affricate, as, in English, (m, ng, n, l, r, y, w). | (of sound) resounding or re-echoing | producing or enhancing resonance, as by sympathetic vibration | characterized by resonance |
Tenuous
thin or slender in form, as a thread. | lacking a sound basis, as reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak: a tenuous argument. | thin in consistency; rare or rarefied. | of slight importance or significance; unsubstantial: He holds a rather tenuous position in history. | lacking in clarity; vague: He gave a rather tenuous account of his past life. | insignificant or flimsy: a tenuous argument | slim, fine, or delicate: a tenuous thread | diluted or rarefied in consistency or density: a tenuous fluid
