SAT-3000-2 Flashcards
1
Q
avert
A
V. prevent; turn away. She averted her eyes from the dead cat on the highway.
2
Q
*aviary
A
N. enclosure for birds. The aviary at the zoo held nearly 300 birds.
3
Q
avid
A
ADJ. greedy; eager for. He was avid for learning and read everything he could get. avidity N.
4
Q
avocation
A
N. secondary or minor occupation. His hobby proved to be so fascinating and profitable that gradually he abandoned his regular occupation and concentrated on his avocation.
5
Q
avow
A
V. declare openly. Lana avowed that she never meant to steal Debbie’s boyfriend but no one believed her avowal of innocence.
6
Q
avuncular
A
ADJ. like an uncle. Avuncular pride did not pre¬vent him from noticing his nephew’s shortcomings.
7
Q
awe
A
N. solemn wonder. The tourists gazed with awe at the tremendous expanse of the Grand Canyon.
8
Q
awry
A
ADV. distorted; crooked. He held his head awry giv¬ing the impression that he had caught cold in his neck dur¬ing the night. alsoADJ.
9
Q
axiom
A
N. self-evident truth requiring no proof. Before a student can begin to think along the lines of Euclidean geometry he must accept certain principles or axioms.
10
Q
azure
A
ADJ. sky blue. Azure skies are indicative of good weather.
11
Q
babble
A
V. chatter idly. The little girl babbled about her doll. also N.
12
Q
bacchanalian
A
ADJ. drunken. Emperor Nero attended the bacchanalian orgy.
13
Q
badger
A
V. pester; annoy. She was forced to change her telephone number because she was badgered by obscene phone calls.
14
Q
badinage
A
N. teasing conversation. Her friends at work greeted the news of her engagement with cheerful badi¬nage.
15
Q
baffle
A
V. frustrate; perplex. The new code baffled the enemy agents.
16
Q
bait
A
V. harass; tease. The school bully baited the smaller children terrorizing them.
17
Q
baleful
A
ADJ. deadly; having a malign influence; ominous. The fortune teller made baleful predictions of terrible things to come.
18
Q
balk
A
V. foil or thwart; stop short; refuse to go on. When the warden learned that several inmates were planning to escape he took steps to balk their attempt. However he balked at punishing them by shackling them to the walls of their cells.
19
Q
ballast
A
N. heavy substance used to add stability or weight. The ship was listing badly to one side; it was necessary to shift the ballast in the hold to get her back on an even keel. alsoV.
20
Q
balm
A
N. something that relieves pain. Friendship is the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.
21
Q
balmy
A
ADJ. mild; fragrant. A balmy breeze refreshed us after the sultry blast.
22
Q
banal
A
ADJ. hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking origi¬nality. The hack writer’s worn-out clich6s made his comic sketch seem banal. He even resorted to the banality of hav¬ing someone slip on a banana peel!
23
Q
bandy
A
V. discuss lightly or glibly; exchange (words) heat¬edly. While the president was happy to bandy patriotic gen¬eralizations with anyone who would listen to him he refused to bandy words with unfriendly reporters at the press con¬ference.
24
Q
bane
A
N. cause of ruin; curse. Lucy’s little brother was the bane of her existence: his attempts to make her life miser¬able worked so well that she could have poisoned him with ratsbane for having such a baneful effect.
25
bantering
ADJ. good-natured ridiculing. They resented his bantering remarks because they thought he was being sar¬castic.
26
barb
N. sharp projection from fishhook etc.; openly cut¬ting remark. If you were a politician which would you pre¬fer being caught on the barb of a fishhook or being subjected to malicious verbal barbs Who can blame the president if he's happier fishing than back in the capitol lis-tening to his critics' barbed remarks
27
bard
N. poet. The ancient bard Homer sang of the fall of Troy.
28
baroque
ADJ. highly ornate. Accustomed to the severe lines of contemporary buildings the architecture students found the flamboyance of baroque architecture amusing. They simply didn't go for baroque.
29
barrage
N. barrier laid down by artillery fire. The company was forced to retreat through the barrage of heavy cannons.
30
barren
ADJ. desolate; fruitless and unproductive; lacking. Looking out at the trackless barren desert Indiana Jones feared that his search for the missing expedition would prove barren.
31
barricade
N. hastily put together defensive barrier; obsta¬cle. Marius and his fellow students hurriedly improvised a rough barricade to block police access to the students' quarter. Malcolm and his brothers barricaded themselves in their bedroom to keep their mother from seeing the hole in the bedroom floor. alsoV.
32
barterer
N. trader. The barterer exchanged trinkets for the natives' furs. It seemed smarter to barter than to pay cash.
33
bask
V. luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth. Basking on the beach she relaxed so completely that she fell asleep.
34
bastion
N. fortress; defense. The villagers fortified the town hall hoping this improvised bastion could protect them from the guerillas' raids. .
35
bate
V. let down; restrain. Until it was time to open the pre¬sents the children had to bate their curiosity. batedADJ.
36
bauble
N. trinket; trifle. The child was delighted with the bauble she had won in the grab bag.
37
bawdy
ADJ. indecent; obscene. Jack took offense at Jill's bawdy remarks. What kind of young man did she think he was
38
beam
N. ray of light; long piece of metal or wood; course of a radio signal. V. smile radiantly. If a beam of light falls on you it illuminates you; if a beam of iron falls on you it elimi¬nates you. (No one feels like beaming when crushed by an iron beam.)
39
beatific
ADJ. giving bliss; blissful. The beatific smile on the child's face made us very happy.
40
beatitude
N. blessedness; state of bliss. Growing closer to God each day the mystic achieved a state of indescribable beatitude.
41
bedizen
V. dress with vulgar finery. The witch doctors were bedizened in all their gaudiest costumes.
42
bedraggle
V. wet thoroughly; stain with mud. We were so bedraggled by the severe storm that we had to change into dry clothing. bedraggledADJ.
43
beeline
N. direct quick route. As soon as the movie was over Jim made a beeline for the exit.
44
befuddle
V. confuse thoroughly. His attempts to clarify the situation succeeded only in befuddling her further.
45
beget
V. father; produce; give rise to. One good turn may deserve another; it does not necessarily beget another.
46
begrudge
V. resent. I begrudge every minute I have to spend attending meetings; they're a complete waste of time.
47
*beguile
V. mislead or delude; pass time. With flattery and big talk of easy money the con men beguiled Kyle into bet¬ting his allowance on the shell game. Broke he beguiled himself during the long hours by playing solitaire.
48
behemoth
N. huge creature; monstrous animal. Sports¬casters nicknamed the linebacker "The Behemoth."
49
belabor
V. explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; attack verbally. The debate coach warned her stu¬dent not to bore the audience by belaboring her point.
50
belated
ADJ. delayed. He apologized for his belated note of condolence to the widow of his friend and explained that he had just learned of her husband's untimely death.
51
beleaguer
V. besiege or attack; harassed. The babysitter was surrounded by a crowd of unmanageable brats who relentlessly beleaguered her.
52
belie
V. contradict; give a false impression. His coarse hard-bitten exterior belied his inner sensitivity.
53
belittle
V. disparage or depreciate; put down. Parents should not belittle their children's early attempts at drawing but should encourage their efforts. Barry was a put-down artist: he was a genius at belittling people and making them feel small.
54
bellicose
ADJ. warlike. His bellicose disposition alienated his friends.
55
belligerent
ADJ. quarrelsome. Whenever he had too much to drink he became belligerent and tried to pick fights with strangers. belligerence N.
56
bemoan
V. lament; express disapproval of. The widow bemoaned the death of her beloved husband. Although critics bemoaned the serious flaws in the author's novels each year his latest book topped the best-seller list.
57
bemused
ADJ. confused; lost in thought; preoccupied. Jill studied the garbled instructions with a bemused look on her face.
58
benediction
N. blessing. The appearance of the sun after the many rainy days was like a benediction.
59
benefactor
N. gift giver; patron. Scrooge later became Tiny Tim's benefactor and gave him gifts.
60
beneficial
ADJ. helpful; useful. Tiny Tim's cheerful good nature had a beneficial influence on Scrooge's once¬uncharitable disposition.
61
beneficiary
N. person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy or will. In Scrooge's will he made Tiny Tim his beneficiary. everything he left would go to young Tim.
62
benevolent
ADJ. generous; charitable. Mr. Fezziwig was a benevolent employer who wished to make Christmas mer¬rier for young Scrooge and his other employees.
63
benign
ADJ. kindly; favorable; not malignant. Though her benign smile and gentle bearing made Miss Marple seem a sweet little old lady in reality she was a tough-minded shrewd observer of human nature. benignity N.
64
bent
ADJ; N. determined; natural talent or inclination. Bent on advancing in the business world the secretary-heroine of Working Girl has a true bent for high finance.
65
*bequeath
V. leave to someone by a will; hand down. Though Maud had intended to bequeath the family home to her nephew she died before changing her will. bequest N.
66
berate
V. scold strongly. He feared she would berate him for his forgetfulness.
67
bereavement
N. state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved. His friends gathered to console him upon his sudden bereavement.
68
bereft
ADJ. deprived of; lacking; desolate because of a loss. The foolish gambler soon found himself bereft of funds.
69
berserk
ADV. frenzied. Angered he went berserk and began to wreck the room.
70
beseech
V. beg; plead with. The workaholic executive's wife beseeched him to spend more time with their son.
71
beset
V. harass or trouble; hem in. Many vexing problems beset the American public school system. Sleeping Beauty's castle was beset on all sides by dense thickets that hid it from view.
72
besiege
V. surround with armed forces; harass (with requests). When the bandits besieged the village the vil¬lagers holed up in the town hall and prepared to withstand a long siege. Members of the new administration were besieged with job applications from people who had worked on the campaign.
73
besmirch
V. soil defile. The scandalous remarks in the newspaper besmirch the reputations of every member of the society.
74
bestial
ADJ. beastlike; brutal. According to legend the werewolf was able to abandon its human shape and take on a bestial form.
75
bestow
V. give. He wished to bestow great honors upon the hero.
76
betoken
V. signify; indicate. The well-equipped docks tall piles of cargo containers and numerous vessels being loaded all betoken Oakland's importance as a port.
77
betray
V. be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwill¬ingly). The spy betrayed his country by selling military secrets to the enemy. When he was taken in for question¬ing the tightness of his lips betrayed his fear of being caught.
78
betroth
V. become engaged to marry. The announcement that they had become betrothed surprised their friends who had not suspected any romance. betrothal N.
79
bevy
N. large group. The movie actor was surrounded by a bevyof starlets.
80
biased
ADJ. slanted; prejudiced. Because the judge played golf regularly with the district attorney's father we feared he might be biased in the prosecution's favor. bias N.
81
bicameral
ADJ. two-chambered as a legislative body. The United States Congress is a bicameral body.
82
bicker
V. quarrel. The children bickered morning noon and night exasperating their parents.
83
biennial
ADJ. every two years. Seeing no need to meet more frequently the group held biennial meetings instead of annual ones. Plants that bear flowers biennially are known as biennials.
84
bigotry
N. stubborn intolerance. Brought up in a democra¬tic atmosphere the student was shocked by the bigotry and narrowness expressed by several of his classmates.
85
bilious
ADJ. suffering from indigestion; irritable. His bilious temperament was apparent to all who heard him rant about his difficulties.
86
bilk
V. swindle; cheat. The con man specialized in bilking insurance companies.
87
billowing
ADJ. swelling out in waves; surging. Standing over the air vent Marilyn Monroe tried vainly to control her billowing skirts.
88
bivouac
N. temporary encampment. While in bivouac we spent the night in our sleeping bags under the stars. alsoV.
89
bizarre
ADJ. fantastic; violently contrasting. The plot of the novel was too bizarre to be believed.
90
blanch
V. bleach; whiten. Although age had blanched his hair he was still vigorous and energetic.
91
bland
ADJ. soothing or mild; agreeable. Jill tried a bland ointment for her sunburn. However when Jack absent¬mindedly patted her on the sunburned shoulder she couldn't maintain a bland disposition.
92
blandishment
N. flattery. Despite the salesperson's bland¬ishments the customer did not buy the outfit.
93
blare
N. loud harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light. I don't know which is worse: the steady blare of a boom box deafening your ears or a sudden blare of flash¬bulbs dazzling your eyes.
94
blasé
ADJ. bored with pleasure or dissipation. Although Beth was as thrilled with the idea of a trip to Paris as her classmates were she tried to act super cool and blasé as if she'd been abroad hundreds of times.
95
blasphemy
N. irreverence; sacrilege; cursing. In my father's house the Dodgers were the holiest of holies; to cheer for another team was to utter words of blasphemy. blasphemousADJ.
96
blatant
ADJ. flagrant; conspicuously obvious; loudly offen¬sive. To the unemployed youth from Dublin the "No Irish Need Apply" placard in the shop window was a blatant mark of prejudice.
97
*bleak
ADJ. cold or cheerless; unlikely to be favorable. The frigid inhospitable Aleutian Islands are bleak military out¬posts. It's no wonder that soldiers assigned there have a bleak attitude toward their posting.
98
*blighted
ADJ. suffering from a disease; destroyed. The extent of the blighted areas could be seen only when viewed from the air.
99
blithe
ADJ. gay; joyous; heedless. Shelley called the sky¬lark a "blithe spirit" because of its happy song.
100
bloated
ADJ. swollen or puffed as with water or air. Her bloated stomach came from drinking so much water.
101
bludgeon
N. club; heavy-headed weapon. Attacked by Dr. Moriarty Holmes used his walking stick as a bludgeon to defend himself. "Watson he said, I fear I may have blud¬geoned Moriarty to death."
102
bluff
ADJ. rough but good-natured. Jack had a bluff and¬hearty manner that belied his actual sensitivity; he never let people know how thin-skinned he really was.
103
bluff
N. pretense (of strength); deception; high cliff. Claire thought Lord Byron's boast that he would swim the Helle¬spont was just a bluff; she was astounded when he dove from the high bluff into the waters below.
104
blunder
N. error. The criminal's fatal blunder led to his capture. alsoV.
105
blurt
V. utter impulsively. Before she could stop him he blurted out the news.
106
bluster
V. blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully. "Let the stormy winds bluster cried Jack, we'll set sail tonight." Jill let Jack bluster. she wasn't going anywhere no matter what he said.
107
bode
V. foreshadow; portend. The gloomy skies and the sulphurous odors from the mineral springs seemed to bode evil to those who settled in the area.
108
bogus
ADJ. counterfeit; not authentic. The police quickly found the distributors of the bogus twenty-dollar bills.
109
bohemian
ADJ. unconventional (in an artistic way). Gertrude Stein ran off to Paris to live an eccentric bohemian life with her writer friends. Oakland was not bohemian: it was too bourgeois too middle-class.
110
boisterous
ADJ. violent; rough; noisy. The unruly crowd became even more boisterous when he tried to quiet them.
111
bolster
V. support; reinforce. The debaters amassed file boxes full of evidence to bolstertheir arguments.
112
bolt
N. door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric. The carpenter shut the workshop door sliding the heavy metal bolt into place. He sorted through his toolbox for the nuts and bolts and nails he would need. Before he cut into the bolt of canvas he measured how much fabric he would need.
113
bolt
V. dash or dart off; fasten (a door); gobble down. Jack was set to bolt out the front door but Jill bolted the door. "Eat your breakfast she said, don't bolt your food."
114
bombardment
N. attack with missiles. The enemy bom¬bardment demolished the town. Members of the opposition party bombarded the prime minister with questions about the enemy attack.
115
bombastic
ADJ. pompous; using inflated language. Puffed up with conceit the orator spoke in such a bombastic man¬ner that we longed to deflate him. bombast N.
116
booming
ADJ. deep and resonant; flourishing thriving. "Who needs a microphone" cried the mayor in his booming voice. Cheerfully he boomed out that thanks to him the city's economy was booming. boomV.
117
boon
N. blessing; benefit. The recent rains that filled our empty reservoirs were a boon to the whole community.
118
boorish
ADJ. rude; clumsy; ungentlemanly. Natasha was embarrassed by her fellow spy's boorish behavior. "If you cannot act like a gentleman Boris go back to Russia: espi¬onage is no job for clumsy boors." boor N.
119
boundless
ADJ. unlimited; vast. Mike's energy was bound¬less: the greater the challenge the more vigorously he tack¬led the job.
120
bountiful
ADJ. abundant; graciously generous. Thanks to the good harvest we had a bountiful supply of food and we could be as bountiful as we liked in distributing food to the needy.
121
bourgeois
ADJ. middle class; selfishly materialistic; dully conventional. Technically anyone who belongs to the mid¬dle class is bourgeois but given the word's connotations most people resent it if you call them that.
122
bovine
ADJ. cowlike; placid and dull. Nothing excites Esther; even when she won the state lottery she still pre¬served her air of bovine calm.
123
bowdlerize
V. expurgate. After the film editors had bowd¬lerized the language in the script the motion picture's rat¬ing was changed from "R" to "PG."
124
boycott
V. refrain from buying or using. To put pressure on grape growers to stop using pesticides that harmed the farm workers' health Cesar Chavez called for consumers to boycott grapes.
125
braggart
N. boaster. Modest by nature she was no brag¬gart preferring to let her accomplishments speak for them¬selves.
126
brandish
V. wave around; flourish. Alarmed Doctor Wat¬son wildly brandished his gun until Holmes told him to put the thing away before he shot himself.
127
bravado
N. swagger; assumed air of defiance. The bravado of the young criminal disappeared when he was confronted by the victims of his brutal attack.
128
brawn
N. muscular strength; sturdiness. It takes brawn to become a champion weightlifter. brawnyADJ.
129
brazen
ADJ. insolent. Her brazen contempt for authority angered the officials.
130
breach
N. breaking of contract or duty; fissure or gap. Jill sued Jack for breach of promise claiming he had broken his promise to marry her. They found a breach in the enemy's fortifications and penetrated their lines. alsoV.
131
breadth
N. width; extent. We were impressed by the breadth of her knowledge.
132
brevity
N. conciseness. Brevity is essential when you send a telegram or cablegram; you are charged for every word.
133
brindled
ADJ. tawny or grayish with streaks or spots. He was disappointed in the litter because the puppies were brindled he had hoped for animals of a uniform color.
134
bristling
ADJ. rising like bristles; showing irritation. The dog stood there bristling with anger.
135
brittle
ADJ. easily broken; difficult. My employer's self-con¬trol was as brittle as an egg-shell. Her brittle personality made it difficult for me to get along with her.
136
broach
V. introduce; open up. Jack did not even try to broach the subject of religion with his in-laws. If you broach a touchy subject it may cause a breach.
137
brochure
N. pamphlet. This brochure on farming was issued by the Department of Agriculture.
138
brooch
N. ornamental clasp. She treasured the brooch because it was an heirloom.
139
browbeat
V. bully; intimidate. Billy resisted Ted's attempts browbeat him into handing over his lunch money.
140
browse
V. graze; skim or glance at casually. "How now brown cow browsing in the green green grass." I remem¬ber lines of verse that I came across while browsing through the poetry section of the local bookstore.
141
brunt
N. main impact or shock. Tom Sawyer claimed credit for painting the fence but the brunt of the work fell on oth¬ers. However he bore the brunt of Aunt Polly's complaints when the paint began to peel.
142
brusque
ADJ. blunt; abrupt. Was Bruce too brusque when he brushed off Bob's request with a curt "Not now!"
143
buccaneer
N. pirate. At Disneyland the Pirates of the Caribbean sing a song about their lives as bloody bucca¬neers.
144
bucolic
ADJ. rustic; pastoral. Filled with browsing cows and bleating sheep the meadow was a charmingly bucolic sight.
145
buffet
N. table with food set out for people to serve them¬selves; meal at which people help themselves to food that's been set out. Please convey the soufflé on the tray to the buffet. (Buffet rhymes with tray.)
146
buffet
V. slap; batter; knock about. To buffet something is to rough it up. (Buffet rhymes with Muffett.) Was Miss Muf¬fett buffeted by the crowd on the way to the buffet tray
147
buffoonery
N. clowning. In the Ace Ventura movies Jim Carrey's buffoonery was hilarious: like Bozo the Clown he's a natural buffoon.
148
bullion
N. gold and silver in the form of bars. Much bullion is stored in the vaults at Fort Knox.
149
bulwark
N. earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends. The navy is our principal bulwark against invasion.
150
bumptious
ADJ. self-assertive. His classmates called him a show-off because of his bumptious airs.
151
bungalow
N. small cottage. Every summer we rent a bun¬galow on Cape Cod for our vacation home. The rent is high the roof is low-it's a basic bungalow.
152
bungle
V. mismanage; blunder. Don't botch this assign¬ment Bumstead; if you bungle the job you're fired!
153
buoyant
ADJ. able to float; cheerful and optimistic. When the boat capsized her buoyant life jacket kept Jody afloat. Scrambling back on board she was still in a buoyant mood certain that despite the delay she'd win the race.
154
bureaucracy
N. over-regulated administrative system marked by red tape. The Internal Revenue Service is the ultimate bureaucracy. taxpayers wasted so much paper fill¬ing out IRS forms that the IRS bureaucrats printed up a new set of rules requiring taxpayers to comply with the Paper¬work Reduction Act.
155
burgeon
V. grow forth; send out buds. In the spring the plants that burgeon are a promise of the beauty that is to come.
156
burlesque
V. give an imitation that ridicules. In Spaceballs Rick Moranis burlesques Darth Vader of Star Wars outra¬geously parodying Vader's stiff walk and hollow voice.
157
burly
ADJ. husky; muscular. The burly mover lifted the packing crate with ease.
158
burnish
V. make shiny by rubbing; polish. The maid bur¬nished the brass fixtures until they reflected the lamplight.
159
bustle
V. move about energetically; teem. David and the children bustled about the house getting in each other's way as they tried to pack for the camping trip. The whole house bustled with activity.
160
buttress
V. support; prop up. The attorney came up with several far-fetched arguments in a vain attempt to buttress his weak case. also N.
161
buxom
ADJ. plump; vigorous; jolly. The soldiers remembered the buxom nurse who had always been so pleasant to them.
162
cabal
N. small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests. The cabal was defeated when their scheme was discovered.
163
cache
N. hiding place. The detectives followed the sus¬pect until he led them to the cache where he had stored his loot. He had cached the cash in a bag for trash: it was a hefty sum.
164
cacophonous
ADJ. discordant; inharmonious. Do the stu¬dents in the orchestra enjoy the cacophonous sounds they make when they're tuning up I don't know how they can stand the racket. cacophony N.
165
cadaver
N. corpse. In some states it is illegal to dissect cadavers.
166
cadaverous
ADJ. like a corpse; pale. By his cadaverous appearance we could see how the disease had ravaged him.
167
cadence
N. rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds); beat. Marching down the road the troops sang out follow¬ing the cadence set by the sergeant.
168
cajole
V. coax; wheedle. Diane tried to cajole her father into letting her drive the family car. cajolery N.
169
calamity
N. disaster; misery. As news of the calamity spread offers of relief poured in to the stricken community.
170
calculated
ADJ. deliberately planned; likely. Lexy's choice of clothes to wear to the debate tournament was carefully calculated. Her conventional suit was one calculated to appeal to the conservative judges.
171
caldron
N. large kettle. "Why Mr. Crusoe said the sav¬age heating the giant caldron, we'd love to have you for dinner!"
172
caliber
N. ability; quality. Einstein's cleaning the black¬boards again Albert quit it! A man of your caliber shouldn't have to do such menial tasks.
173
calligraphy
N. beautiful writing; excellent penmanship. As we examine ancient manuscripts we become impressed with the calligraphy of the scribes.
174
callous
ADJ. hardened; unfeeling. He had worked in the hospital for so many years that he was callous to the suffer¬ing in the wards. callus N.
175
callow
ADJ. youthful; immature; inexperienced. As a fresh¬man Jack was sure he was a man of the world; as a sopho¬more he made fun of freshmen as callow youths. In both cases his judgment showed just how callow he was.
176
calorific
ADJ. heat-producing. Coal is much more calorific than green wood.
177
calumny
N. malicious misrepresentation; slander. He could endure his financial failure but he could not bear the calumny that his foes heaped upon him.
178
camaraderie
N. good-fellowship. What he loved best about his job was the sense of camaraderie he and his co¬workers shared.
179
cameo
N. /;()/shell or jewel carved in relief; star's special appearance in a minor role in a film. Don't bother buying cameos from the street peddlers in Rome: the carvings they sell are clumsy jobs. Did you enjoy Bill Murray's cameo in Little Shop of Horrors He was onscreen for only a minute but he cracked me up.
180
camouflage
V. disguise; conceal. In order to rescue Han Solo Princess Leia camouflaged herself in the helmet and cloak of a space bandit.
181
candor
N. frankness; open honesty. Jack can carry can¬dor too far: when he told Jill his honest opinion of her she nearly slapped his face. candidADJ.
182
canine
ADJ. related to dogs; dog-like. Some days the canine population of Berkeley seems almost to outnumber the human population
183
canny
ADJ. shrewd; thrifty. The canny Scotsman was more than a match for the swindlers.
184
cant
N. insincere expressions of piety; jargon of thieves. Shocked by news of the minister's extramarital love affairs the worshippers dismissed his talk about the sacredness of marriage as mere cant. Cant is a form of hypocrisy: those who can pray; those who cant pretend.
185
cantankerous
ADJ. ill humored; irritable. Constantly com¬plaining about his treatment and refusing to cooperate with the hospital staff he was a cantankerous patient.
186
cantata
N. story set to music to be sung by a chorus. The choral society sang the new cantata composed by its leader.
187
canter
N. slow gallop. Because the racehorse had outdis¬tanced its competition so easily the reporter wrote that the race was won in a canter. alsoV.
188
canto
N. division of a long poem. Dante's poetic master¬piece The Divine Comedy is divided into cantos.
189
canvass
V. determine votes etc. After canvassing the senti¬ments of his constituents the congressman was confident that he represented the majority opinion of his district. also N.
190
capacious
ADJ. spacious. In the capacious rotunda of the railroad terminal thousands of travelers lingered while waiting for their train.
191
Capacity
N. mental or physical ability; role; ability to accommodate. Mike had the capacity to handle several jobs at once. In his capacity as president of SelecTronics he marketed an electronic dictionary with a capacity of 200000 words.
192
capitulate
V. surrender. The enemy was warned to capitu¬late or face annihilation.
193
caprice
N. sudden unexpected fancy; whim. On a caprice Jack tried drag-racing but paid the price-his father took his Chevy Caprice away from him.
194
capricious
ADJ. unpredictable; fickle. The storm was capri¬cious: it changed course constantly. Jill was capricious too: she changed boyfriends almost as often as she changed clothes.
195
caption
N. title; chapter heading; text under illustration. The captions that accompany The Far Side cartoons are almost as funny as the pictures. alsoV.
196
captivate
V. charm or enthrall. Bart and Lisa were capti¬vated by their new nanny's winning manner.
197
carat
N. /;;K/unit of weight for precious stones; measure of fineness of gold. He gave her a three-carat diamond mounted in an eighteen-carat gold band.
198
cardinal
ADJ. chief. If you want to increase your word power the cardinal rule of vocabulary-building is to read.
199
cardiologist
N. doctor specializing in the heart. When the pediatrician noticed Philip had a slight heart murmur she referred him to a cardiologist for further tests.
200
careen
V. lurch; sway from side to side. The taxicab careened wildly as it rounded the corner.
201
caricature
N. distortion; burlesque. The caricatures he drew always emphasized a personal weakness of the peo¬ple he burlesqued. alsoV.
202
carnage
N. destruction of life. The film The Killing Fields vividly depicts the carnage wreaked by Pol Pot's followers in Cambodia.
203
carnal
ADJ. fleshly. Is the public more interested in carnal pleasures than in spiritual matters Compare the number of people who read Playboy daily to the number of those who read the Bible or Koran every day.
204
carnivorous
ADJ. meat-eating. The lion's a carnivorous beast. A hunk of meat makes up his feast. A cow is not a carnivore. She likes the taste of grain not gore.
205
*carping
ADJ. finding fault. A carping critic is a nit-picker: he loves to point out flaws. If you don't like this definition feel free to carp.
206
cartographer
N. map-maker. Though not a professional cartographer Tolkien was able to construct a map of his fictional world.
207
cascade
N. small waterfall. We were too tired to appreci¬ate the beauty of the many cascades because we had to detour around them to avoid being drenched by the water cascading down.
208
castigate
V. criticize severely; punish. When the teacher threatened that she would castigate the mischievous boys if they didn't behave they shaped up in a hurry.
209
casualty
N. serious or fatal accident. The number of auto¬motive casualties on this holiday weekend was high.
210
cataclysm
N. upheaval; deluge. A cataclysm such as the French Revolution affects all countries. cataclysmicADJ.
211
catalyst
N. agent which brings about a chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged. Many chemical reactions cannot take place without the presence of a catalyst.
212
catapult
N. slingshot; a hurling machine. Airplanes are sometimes launched from battleships by catapults. alsoV.
213
cataract
N. great waterfall; eye abnormality. She gazed with awe at the mighty cataract known as Niagara Falls.
214
catastrophe
N. calamity; disaster. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was a catastrophe that destroyed most of the city. A similar earthquake striking today could have even more catastrophic results.
215
catcall
N. shout of disapproval; boo. Every major league pitcher has off days during which he must learn to ignore the catcalls and angry hisses from the crowd.
216
catechism
N. /;FAQQ&A/book for religious instruction; instruction by question and answer. He taught by engaging his pupils in a catechism until they gave him the correct answer.
217
categorical
ADJ. without exceptions; unqualified; absolute. Though the captain claimed he was never never sick at sea he finally had to qualify his categorical denial: he was "hardly ever" sick at sea.
218
cater to
V. supply something desired (whether good or bad). The chef was happy to cater to the tastes of his highly sophisticated clientele. Critics condemned the movie industry for catering to the public's ever-increasing appetite for violence.
219
catharsis
N. purging or cleansing of any passage of the body. Aristotle maintained that tragedy created a catharsis by purging the soul of base concepts.
220
catholic
ADJ. broadly sympathetic; liberal. He was extremely catholic in his taste and read everything he could find in the library.
221
caucus
N. private meeting of members of a party to select officers or determine policy. At the opening of Congress the members of the Democratic Party held a caucus to elect the Majority Leader of the House and the Party Whip.
222
caulk
V. make watertight by filling in cracks. Jack had to caulk the tiles in the shower stall to stop the leak into the basement below.
223
causal
ADJ. implying a cause-and-effect relationship. The psychologist maintained there was a causal relationship between the nature of one's early childhood experiences and one's adult personality. causality N.
224
caustic
ADJ. burning; sarcastically biting. The critic's caus¬tic remarks angered the hapless actors who were the sub¬jects of his sarcasm.
225
cavalcade
N. procession; parade. As described by Chaucer the cavalcade of Canterbury pilgrims was a mot¬ley group.
226
cavalier
ADJ. offhand or casual; haughty. The disguised prince resented the cavalier way in which the palace guards treated him. How dared they handle a member of the royal family so unceremoniously!
227
cavil
V. make frivolous objections. It's fine when you make sensible criticisms but it really bugs me when you cavil about unimportant details. also N.
228
cede
V. yield (title territory) to; surrender formally. Eventu¬ally the descendants of England's Henry II were forced to cede their French territories to the King of France.
229
celebrated
ADJ. famous; well-known. Thanks to their race to break Roger Maris's home-run record Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire are two of America's most celebrated base¬ball players. celebrity N.
230
celerity
N. speed; rapidity. Hamlet resented his mother's celerity in remarrying within a month after his father's death.
231
celestial
ADJ. heavenly. She spoke of the celestial joys that awaited virtuous souls in the hereafter.
232
celibate
ADJ. unmarried; abstaining from sexual inter¬course. The perennial bachelor vowed to remain celibate. celibacy N.
233
censor
N. overseer of morals; person who reads to elimi¬nate inappropriate remarks. Soldiers dislike having their mail read by a censor but understand the need for this pre¬caution. alsoV.
234
censorious
ADJ. critical. Censorious people delight in cast¬ing blame.
235
censure
V. blame; criticize. The senator was censured for behavior inappropriate to a member of Congress. also N.
236
centigrade
ADJ. measure of temperature used widely in Europe. On the centigrade thermometer the freezing point of water is zero degrees.
237
centrifugal
ADJ. radiating; departing from the center. Many automatic drying machines remove excess moisture from clothing by centrifugal force.
238
centripetal
ADJ. tending toward the center. Does cen¬tripetal force or the force of gravity bring orbiting bodies to the earth's surface
239
centurion
N. Roman army officer. Because he was in com¬mand of a company of one hundred soldiers he was called a centurion.
240
cerebral
ADJ. pertaining to the brain or intellect. The con¬tent of philosophical works is cerebral in nature and requires much thought.
241
cerebration
N. thought. Mathematics problems sometimes require much cerebration.
242
ceremonious
ADJ. marked by formality. Ordinary dress would be inappropriate at so ceremonious an affair.
243
certitude
N. certainty. Though there was no certitude of his getting the job Lou thought he had a good chance of doing so.
244
cessation
N. stoppage. The airline's employees threat¬ened a cessation of all work if management failed to meet their demands. ceaseV.
245
cession
N. yielding to another; ceding. The cession of Alaska to the United States is discussed in this chapter.
246
chafe
V. warm by rubbing; make sore (by rubbing). Chilled he chafed his hands before the fire. The collar of his school uniform chafed Tom's neck but not as much the school's strict rules chafed his spirit. also N.
247
chaff
N. worthless products of an endeavor. When you separate the wheat from the chaff be sure you throw out the chaff.
248
chaffing
ADJ. bantering; joking. Sometimes Chad's flip¬pant chaffing remarks annoy us. Still Chad's chaffing keeps us laughing. also N.
249
chagrin
N. vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride); disappointment. Embarrassed by his parents' shabby working-class appearance Doug felt their visit to his school would bring him nothing but chagrin. Someone filled with chagrin doesn't grin: he's too mortified.
250
chalice
N. goblet; consecrated cup. In a small room adjoin¬ing the cathedral many ornately decorated chalices made by the most famous European goldsmiths were on display.
251
chameleon
N. lizard that changes color in different situa¬tions. Like the chameleon he assumed the political thinking of every group he met.
252
champion
V. support militantly. Martin Luther King Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize because he championed the oppressed in their struggle for equality.
253
Chaotic
ADJ. in utter disorder. He tried to bring order into the chaotic state of affairs. chaos N.
254
charisma
N. divine gift; great popular charm or appeal of a political leader Political commentators have deplored the importance of a candidate's charisma in these days of tele¬vision campaigning.
255
charlatan
N. quack; pretender to knowledge. When they realized that the Wizard didn't know how to get them back to Kansas Dorothy and her companions were indignant that they'd been duped by a charlatan.
256
chary
ADJ. cautious; sparing or restrained about giving. A prudent thrifty New Englander DeWitt was as chary of investing money in junk bonds as he was chary of paying people unnecessary compliments.
257
chasm
N. abyss. They could not see the bottom of the chasm.
258
chassis
N. framework and working parts of an automobile. Examining the car after the accident the owner discovered that the body had been ruined but that the chassis was unharmed.
259
chaste
ADJ. pure. Her chaste and decorous garb was appropriately selected for the solemnity of the occasion. chastity N.
260
chasten
V. discipline; punish in order to correct. Whom God loves God chastens.
261
chastise
V. punish. I must chastise you for this offense.
262
chauvinist
N. blindly devoted patriot. A chauvinist cannot recognize any faults in his country no matter how flagrant they may be. Likewise a male chauvinist cannot recognize his bias in favor of his own sex no matter how flagrant that may be. chauvinisticADJ.
263
check
V. stop motion; curb or restrain. Thrusting out her arm Grandma checked Bobby's lunge at his sister. "Young man she said, you'd better check your temper." (sec¬ondary meaning)
264
checkered
ADJ. marked by changes in fortune. During his checkered career he had lived in palatial mansions and in dreary boardinghouses.
265
cherubic
ADJ. angelic; innocent-looking. With her cheerful smile and rosy cheeks she was a particularly cherubic child.
266
chicanery
N. trickery; deception. Those sneaky lawyers misrepresented what occurred made up all sorts of implau¬sible alternative scenarios to confuse the jurors and in gen¬eral depended on chicanery to win the case.
267
chide
V. scold. Grandma began to chide Steven for his lying.
268
chimerical
ADJ. fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; imaginative. As everyone expected Ted's chimerical scheme to make a fortune by raising ermines in his back yard proved a dismal failure.
269
chisel
N. wedgelike tool for cutting. With his hammer and chisel the sculptor chipped away at the block of marble.
270
chisel
V. swindle or cheat; cut with a chisel. That crook chiseled me out of a hundred dollars when he sold me that "marble" statue he'd chiseled out of some cheap hunk of rock.
271
Chivalrous
ADJ. courteous; faithful; brave. Chivalrous behavior involves noble words and good deeds.
272
choleric
ADJ. hot-tempered. His flushed angry face indi¬cated a choleric nature.
273
choreography
N. art of representing dances in written symbols; arrangement of dances. Merce Cunningham has begun to use a computer in designing choreography. a software program allows him to compose arrangements of possible moves and immediately view them onscreen.
274
chortle
V. chuckle with delight. When she heard that her rival had just been jailed for embezzlement she chortled with joy. She was not a nice lady.
275
chronic
ADJ. long established as a disease. The doctors were finally able to attribute his chronic headaches and nausea to traces of formaldehyde gas in his apartment.
276
chronicle
V. report; record (in chronological order). The gossip columnist was paid to chronicle the latest escapades of the socially prominent celebrities. also N.
277
churlish
ADJ. boorish; rude. Dismayed by his churlish map¬ners at the party the girls vowed never to invite him again.
278
cipher
N. secret code. Lacking his code book the spy was unable to decode the message sent to him in cipher.
279
cipher
N. nonentity; worthless person or thing. She claimed her ex-husband was a total cipher and wondered why she had ever married him.
280
circuitous
ADJ. roundabout. To avoid the traffic congestion on the main highways she took a circuitous route. circuit N.
281
*circumlocution
N. indirect or roundabout expression. He was afraid to call a spade a spade and resorted to circum¬locutions to avoid direct reference to his subject.
282
circumscribe
V. limit; confine. Although I do not wish to cir¬cumscribe your activities I must insist that you complete this assignment before you start anything else.
283
circumspect
ADJ. prudent; cautious. Investigating before acting she tried always to be circumspect.
284
circumvent
V. outwit; baffle. In order to circumvent the enemy we will make two preliminary attacks in other sec¬tions before starting our major campaign.
285
cistern
N. reservoir or water tank. The farmers were able to withstand the dry season by using rainwater they had stored in an underground cistern.
286
citadel
N. fortress. The citadel overlooked the city like a protecting angel.
287
cite
V. quote; command. She could cite passages in the Bible from memory. citation N.
288
Civil
ADJ. having to do with citizens or the state; courteous and polite. Although Internal Revenue Service agents are civil servants they are not always civil to suspected tax cheats.
289
clairvoyant
ADJ. N. having foresight; fortuneteller. Cassan¬dra's clairvoyant warning was not heeded by the Trojans. clairvoyance N.
290
clamber
V. climb by crawling. She clambered over the wall.
291
clamor
N. noise. The clamor of the children at play outside made it impossible for her to take a nap. alsoV.
292
clandestine
ADJ. secret. After avoiding their chaperon the lovers had a clandestine meeting.
293
clangor
N. loud resounding noise. The blacksmith was accustomed to the clangor of hammers on steel.
294
clapper
N. striker (tongue) of a bell. Wishing to be undis¬turbed by the bell Dale wound his scarf around the clapper to muffle the noise of its striking.
295
clasp
N. fastening device; firm grip. When the clasp on Judy's bracelet broke Fred repaired it bending the hook back into shape. He then helped her slip on the bracelet holding it firm in the sure clasp of his hand.
296
claustrophobia
N. fear of being locked in. His fellow class¬mates laughed at his claustrophobia and often threatened to lock him in his room.
297
cleave
V. split or sever; cling to; remain faithful to. With her heavy cleaver Julia Child can cleave a whole roast duck in two. Soaked through the soldier tugged at the uniform that cleaved annoyingly to his body. He would cleave to his post come rain or shine.
298
Cleft
N. split. Trying for a fresh handhold the mountain¬climber grasped the edge of a cleft in the sheer rockface. alsoADJ.
299
clemency
N. disposition to be lenient; mildness as of the weather. The lawyer was pleased when the case was sent to Judge Smith's chambers because Smith was noted for her clemency toward first offenders.
300
clench
V. close tightly; grasp. "Open wide said the den¬tist, but Clint clenched his teeth even more tightly than before.
301
cliché
N. phrase dulled in meaning by repetition. High school compositions are often marred by such clichés as "strong as an ox."
302
clientele
N. body of customers. The rock club attracted a young stylish clientele.
303
climactic
ADJ. relating to the highest point. When he reached the climactic portions of the book he could not stop reading. climax N.
304
clime
N. region; climate. His doctor advised him to move to a milder clime.
305
Clip
N. section of filmed material. Phil's job at Fox Sports involved selecting clips of the day's sporting highlights for later broadcast. alsoV.
306
clique
N. small exclusive group. Fitzgerald wished that he belonged to the clique of popular athletes and big men on campus who seemed to run Princeton's social life.
307
cloister
N. monastery or convent. The nuns lived a secluded life in the cloister.
308
Clout
N. /(\)/great influence (especially political or social). Gatsby wondered whether he had enough clout to be admitted to the exclusive club.
309
cloying
ADJ. distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental. Disliking the cloying sweetness of standard wedding cakes Jody and Tom chose to have homemade carrot cake at the reception. cloyV.
310
Clump
N. cluster or close group (of bushes trees); mass; sound of heavy treading. Hiding behind the clump of bushes the fugitives waited for the heavy clump of the sol¬diers' feet to fade away.
311
coagulate
V. thicken; congeal; clot. Even after you remove the pudding from the burner it will continue to coagulate as it stands; therefore do not overcook the pudding lest it become too thick.
312
*coalesce
V. combine; fuse. The brooks coalesce into one large river. When minor political parties coalesce their coa¬lescence may create a major coalition.
313
coalition
N. partnership; league; union. The Rainbow Coalition united people of all races in a common cause.
314
coddle
V. to treat gently. Don't coddle the children so much; they need a taste of discipline.
315
codicil
N. supplement to the body of a will. Miss Havisham kept her lawyers busy drawing up codicils to add to her already complicated will.
316
codify
V. arrange (laws rules) as a code; classify. We need to take the varying rules and regulations of the different health agencies and codify them into a national health code.
317
coercion
N. use of force to get someone to obey. The inquisitors used both physical and psychological coercion to force Joan of Arc to deny that her visions were sent by God. coerceV.
318
cogent
ADJ. convincing. It was inevitable that David chose to go to Harvard: he had several cogent reasons for doing so including a full-tuition scholarship. Katya argued her case with such cogency that the jury had to decide in favor of her client.
319
cogitate
V. think over. Cogitate on this problem; the solu¬tion will come.
320
cognate
ADJ. related linguistically: allied by blood: similar or akin in nature. The English word "mother" is cognate to the Latin word "mater whose influence is visible in the words maternal" and "maternity." also N.
321
cognitive
ADJ. having to do with knowing or perceiving; related to the mental processes. Though Jack was emotion¬ally immature his cognitive development was admirable; he was very advanced intellectually.
322
cognizance
N. knowledge. During the election campaign the two candidates were kept in full cognizance of the inter¬national situation.
323
cohere
V. stick together. Solids have a greater tendency to cohere than liquids.
324
cohesion
N. tendency to keep together. A firm believer in the maxim "Divide and conquer the evil emperor, by means of lies and trickery, sought to disrupt the cohesion of the federation of free nations.
325
coiffure
N. hairstyle. You can make a statement with your choice of coiffure: in the sixties many African¬Americans affirmed their racial heritage by wearing their hair in Afros.
326
coin
V. make coins; invent or fabricate. Mints coin good money; counterfeiters coin fakes. Slanderers coin nasty rumors; writers coin words. A neologism is an expression that's been newly-coined.
327
coincidence
N. two or more things occurring at the same time by chance. Was it just a coincidence that John and she had chanced to meet at the market for three days run¬ning or was he deliberately trying to seek her out coinci¬dentalADJ.
328
colander
N. utensil with perforated bottom used for strain¬ing. Before serving the spaghetti place it in a colander to drain it.
329
collaborate
V. work together. Two writers collaborated in preparing this book.
330
collage
N. work of art put together from fragments. Scraps of cloth paper doilies and old photographs all went into her collage.
331
collate
V. examine in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order. They collated the newly found manuscripts to deter¬mine their age.
332
collateral
N. security given for loan. The sum you wish to borrow is so large that it must be secured by collateral.
333
colloquial
ADJ. pertaining to conversational or common speech. Some of the new less formal reading passages on SAT I have a colloquial tone that is intended to make them more appealing to students.
334
collusion
N. Conspiring in a fraudulent scheme. The swindlers were found guilty of collusion.
335
colossal
ADJ. huge. Radio City Music Hall has a colossal stage.
336
comatose
ADJ. a coma; extremely sleepy. The long¬winded orator soon had his audience in a comatose state.
337
*combustible
ADJ. easily burned. After the recent outbreak of fires in private homes the fire commissioner ordered that all combustible materials be kept in safe containers also N.
338
comely
ADJ. attractive; agreeable. I would rather have a poor and comely wife than a rich and homely one.
339
comeuppance
N. rebuke; deserts. After his earlier rude¬ness we were delighted to see him get his comeuppance.
340
commandeer
V. to draft for military purposes; to take for public use. The policeman commandeered the first car that approached and ordered the driver to go to the nearest hospital.
341
commemorate
V. honor the memory of. The statue of the Minute Man commemorates the valiant soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War.
342
commensurate
ADJ. equal in extent. Your reward will be commensurate with your effort.
343
commiserate
V. feel or express pity or sympathy for. Her friends commiserated with the widow.
344
commodious
ADJ. spacious and comfortable. After sleep¬ing in small roadside cabins they found their hotel suite commodious.
345
communal
ADJ. held in common; of a group of people. When they were divorced they had trouble dividing their communal property.
346
compact
N. agreement; contract. The signers of the Mayflower Compact were establishing a form of government.
347
compact
ADJ. tightly packed; firm; brief. His short com¬pact body was better suited to wrestling than to basketball.
348
comparable
ADJ. similar. People whose jobs are compara¬ble in difficulty should receive comparable pay.
349
compatible
ADJ. harmonious; in harmony with. They were compatible neighbors never quarreling over unimportant matters. compatibility N.
350
compelling
ADJ. overpowering; irresistible in effect. The prosecutor presented a well-reasoned case but the defense attorney's compelling arguments for leniency won over the jury.
