SAT vocabulary 2/20/13 Flashcards
arduous
adj. hard;strenuous
Her ARDUOUS efforts had taken away all her energy.
Hard work
aria
n. operatic solo
At her Metropolitan Opera audition, she sang an ARIA from Carmen.
Solo in opera
aromatic
adj. fragrant
The AROMATIC herbs that the witch got the princess were very gruesome.
Fragrance
arousal
n. awakening; provocation
They would AROUSE their mother by continuously not committing to their chores.
To provoke
arraign
v. charge in court; indict.
She was ARRAIGNED for committing the murder of the three innocent children.
Accused, blamed
array
v. Marshal; draw up in order
His actors were bound to ARRAY public sentiment against him
array
v. clothe; adorn
She liked to watch her mother ARRAY herself in her finest clothes.
Dress, clothe
arrears
n. being in debt
He was ARREARS in paying the bills to his apartment.
Debt
arsenal
n. storage place for military equipment
People are forbidden to smoke in the ARSENAL because if a spark from the cigarette falls and hits the munitions, it can set off.
Storage place for military
articulate
adj. effective; distinct
Her ARTICULATE presentation impressed the judges.
Interesting, effective, distinct
artifice
n. deception; trickery
The ARTIFICE the magician demonstrated was unbelievable!
Trickery
artless
adj. without guile; open and honest
She was very ARTLESS that she easily believed that if you swallow a watermelon seed, you would grow a watermelon in your stomach.
Simple, Innocent, Naive
ascendancy
n. controlling influence; domination
Many weak countries had leaders that maintained ASCENDANCY towards their followers.
domination
ascertain
v. find out the reason
Please ASCERTAIN the reason for why he is mad at me.
To find out
ascetic
adj. practicing self-denial; austere
The wealthy self indulgent man felt drawn to the ASCETIC life led by members of some monastic orders.
Ascribe
V. Refer, attribute; assign
I can ASCRIBE no motive for her acts
Refer
Aseptic
Adj. Preventing infection, having a cleansing effect.
Hospitals are always sanitary because they have to be ASEPTIC.
Preventing infections
Ashen
Adj. Ash-colored
Her face was ASHENED with fear.
Ash-colored.
Asinine
Adj. Stupid
Why did you say such an ASININE and foolish comment?
Stupid, ridiculous
Askance
Adj. With a sideways or indirect look
After I explained to her the math problem, she looked at me with ASKANCE.
Questioning,
Askew
Adj. Crookedly; slanted; at an angle
She thought the shelf was straight but it was actually in an ASKEW position
Crooked, not straight
Asperity
N. Sharpness (of temper)
The remarks, spoken with ASPERITY, stung the boys to whom they had been directed.
Sharpness
Aspersion
N. Slander; slur; derogatory remark
She was giving her ASPERSION on his speech.
Remarks
Aspirant
N. Seeker after position or status
He would do anything to be the manage of that compay he worked in because he was ASPIRANT.
Seeking position
Aspire
V. Seek to attain; long for
She ASPIRED to get into that college without passing her classes; that wouldn’t happen!
To seek, to want
Assail
V. Assault
He was ASSAILED by the two thugs.
Assault
Assay
V. Analyze; evaluate
My teacher told me to throughly ASSAY my English paper
Analyze
Assent
V. Agree; accept
She ASSENTED my request to go to the super market.
Agree, accept
Assert
V. Declare or state with confidence
She ASSERTED her answer because she knewshe was correct.
Say something with confidence
Assessment
N. Evaluation, judgement
Her ASSESSMENT by the judges on her math project was a little harsh but it helped her.evaluation
Assidous
Adj. Diligent, an effort to accomplish something
He was ASSIDOUS working on his chores.
With effort
Assuage
V. Ease or lessen (pain); satisfy; sooth (anger)
She tried to ASSUAGE her daughter’s pain by kissing her scar
Ease , soothe the pain
Catechism
N. Book for religious instruction; instruction by question and answer.
When I was in Catholic school, there were certain classes of CATECHISM.
Catholic, Catechism
Categorical
adj. Without expectations; unqualified; absolute
Though the captain claimed he was never, never sea sick at sea, he finally had to qualify his CATEGORICAL denial.
Unqualified
Cater to
v. supple something desired (whether good or bad)
The chief was happy to CATER TO the queen of England.
Something desired
Catharsis
n. purging or cleansing of any passage of the body.
The native Americans believe in CATHARSIS of the soul; they always cleanse themselves.
Caucas
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 CAUCAS to elect the majority leader of the House.
Private meeting
Caulk
v. make watertight by filling in cracks
Tom had to CAULK the floor of the upstairs
bathroom because the water was leaking.
To fill in cracks
Caustic
adj. burning; sarcastically biting
The student’s CAUSTIC comments got the teacher so aggravated that she gave him detention.
Sarcastically rude
Cavalcade
n. procession; parade
As described by Chaucer, the CAVALCADE of Canterbury motley group.
Procession
Cavalier
adj. offhand or casual; haughty.
The disguised prince resented the CAVALIER way in which the palace guards treat him.
Offhand or casual
Cavil
v. make frivolous objections
I don’t intend to CAVIL or compromise.
Faultfinder
Cede
v. yield (title, territory) to; surrender formality
Eventually the dictator CEDED and stopped trying to take over the country.
Surrender
Celerity
n. speed; rapidity
He couldn’t stand the CELERITY of how his girlfriend was driving the car.
Speed
Celibate
adj. unmarried; abstaining from sexual intercourse
Her and her boyfriend decided that they would be CELIBATE until they got married.
Not having sex
Censorious
adj. critical
CENSORIOUS people delight in blaming other people.
Critical
Censure
v. blame, criticize
The senator was CENSURED for his inappropriate behavior on national television.
Blame
Centrifugal
adj. radiating; departing from the center
Many automatic drying machines remove excess moisture from clothing by CENTRIFUGAL force.
Departing from the center
Centripetal
adj. tending toward the center
Does CENTRIPETAL force or the force of gravity bring orbiting bodies to the earth’s surface?
Shifting towards the center
Cerebral
adj. pertaining to the brain or intellect
The heroes of Dumb and Dumber were poorly equipped for CEREBRAL pursuits.
Cerebration
n. thought
Mathematical questions often require a lot of CEREBRATION.
Though
Certitude
n. certainty
Though there was no CERTITUDE that he would pass his SATs, he had confidence when he entered to take it.
Confidence, for sure
Cessation
n. stoppage
The bus drivers weren’t getting paid well, so they threatened a CESSATION of all driving of the buses.
Stoppage
cession
n. yielding to another; ceding
The CESSION of Alaska to the U.S is discussed during the Manifest Destiny.
Taking into another
Chafe
v. warm by rubbing, making sore (by rubbing)
She kept on CHAFING her leg that it became red
Rubbing, to make warm
Chaff
n. worthless products of an endeavor
When you separate the wheat from the CHAFF, be sure you throw out the CHAFF.
Worthless products
Chaffing
adj. bantering; joking
Sometimes, when the teachers are in a good mood, they will be CHAFFING with their students.
Joking
Chagrin
n. vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride); disappointment
Embarrassed by the teacher’s remarks on her grades that were a CHAGRIN, she ended up crying.
Disappointment
