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Word Smart for the GRE 2nd addition > Section 18-All P's (92) > Flashcards

Section 18-All P's (92) Flashcards

1
Q

Paen (n)

A

a song or expression of praise and thanksgiving/triumph

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2
Q

Palliate (v)

A

to make something appear less serious, gloss over, mitigate in an attempt to cloak

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3
Q

Pandemic (adj)

A

widespread; occurring over a large area or affecting an unusually large percentage of the population

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4
Q

Pan- (Greek)

A

All

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5
Q

Demos (Greek)

A

people

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6
Q

Panegyric (n)

A

formal expression of praise

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7
Q

Paradigm (n)

A

something that serves as a model, example, or pattern; the framework of assumptions and understandings shared by a group or discipline that shapes its worldview/ a model

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8
Q

Para (Greek)

A

beside; distant from

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9
Q

Paradox (n)

A

contradiction; a seemingly self contradictory statement that seems true nonetheless (adj)-Paradoxial

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10
Q

Paragon (n)

A

something regarded as a model of excellence or perfection in some way

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11
Q

Pariah (n)

A

an outcast, a rejected and despised person

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12
Q

Parody (n)

A

humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, especially in literature and art, also something so bad as to be potentially mistaken for an intentional mockery

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13
Q

Parry (v)

A

to block, evade or ward off, as a blow

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14
Q

Parsimonious (adj)

A

cheap, miserly; frugal

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15
Q

Partisan (adj)

A

one-sided, committed to a party, biased or prejudiced

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16
Q

Paucity (adj)

A

scarcity, a lacking of

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17
Q

Peccadillo (n)

A

a slight offense, literally, a minor sin

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18
Q

Pedagogy (n)

A

the art or profession of training, teaching, or instructing

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19
Q

Pedantic (adj)

A

ostentatious display of learning, excessive attention to minutiae and formal rules, unimaginative

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20
Q

Ostentatious

A

vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice

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21
Q

Pedant

A

one with pedantic

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22
Q

Pedestrian (adj)

A

commonplace, trite, unremarkable, dull

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23
Q

Penchant (n)

A

Strong inclination, a liking

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24
Q

Penurious (adj)

A

penny-pinching; excessively thrifty, ungenerous

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25
Q

Penury

A

extreme poverty, destitution or lack of resources

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26
Q

Peremptory (adj)

A

admitting of no contradiction, putting and end to further debate, haughty, imperious, final

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27
Q

Perennial (adj)

A

recurrent through the year or many years, happening repeatedly

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28
Q

Perfidy (n)

A

intentional breach of faith, treachery

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29
Q

Perfunctory (adj)

A

cursory, done without care or interest/effort

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30
Q

Peripatetic (adj)

A

itinerant, traveling, nomadic

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31
Q

Pernicious (adj)

A

extremely harmful, potentially causing death, inimical

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32
Q

Personable (adj)

A

pleasing in appearance, attractive

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33
Q

Perspicacious (adj)

A

acutely perceptive, having keen discernment; having great acumen

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34
Q

Peruse (v)

A

to examine with great care

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35
Q

Pervade (v)

A

to permeate throughout

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36
Q

Pervasive

A

having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout

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37
Q

Petrous (adj)

A

like a rock, hard, stony

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38
Q

Perify

A

to make hard or rocklike, or to paralyze with fear

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39
Q

Petulant (adj)

A

impatient, irritable

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40
Q

Philanthropic (adj)

A

humanitarian, benevolent

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41
Q

Philistine (n)

A

a crass individual guided by material rather than intellectual or artistic values

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42
Q

Phlegmatic (adj)

A

calm, sluggish, unemotional, stoic

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43
Q

Picaresque (adj)

A

involving clever rogues or adventurers

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44
Q

Pied (adj)

A

multi-colored, usually in blotches

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45
Q

Pillory (v)

A

to punish, hold up to public scorn

46
Q

Pine (v)

A

to yearn intensely, to languish, to lose vigor

47
Q

Pious (adj)

A

extremely reverent or devout

48
Q

Piquant (adj)

A

agreeably pungent, spicy, stimulating

49
Q

Pique (n)

A

resentment, feeling of irritation due to hurt pride (also can be used as a verb)

50
Q

Pirate (v)

A

to use or reproduce illegally

51
Q

Pith (n)

A

the essential or central part

52
Q

Pithy

A

Precise and brief

53
Q

Placate (v)

A

to appease, to calm by making concessions; mollify

54
Q

Plaintive (adj)

A

mournful, melancholy, sorrowful

55
Q

Plangent (adj)

A

pounding, thundering, resounding

56
Q

Plastic (adj)

A

moldable, pliable, not rigid

57
Q

Platitude (n)

A

a superficial or trite remark, especially one offered as meaningful

58
Q

Plethora (n)

A

an overabundance, a surplus

59
Q

Pluck (n)

A

courage, spunk, fortitude

60
Q

Plumb (v)

A

to measure the depth (as with a plumb line), to examine critically

61
Q

Plummet (v)

A

to plunge or drop straight down

62
Q

Poignant (adj)

A

distressing, pertinent, touching, stimulating, emotional

63
Q

Polemical (adj)

A

controversial, argumentative

64
Q

Polemics

A

the art or practice of controversy and argumentation

65
Q

Pragmatic (adj)

A

practical rather than idealistic

66
Q

Pragmatist

A

one who is practical

67
Q

Prate (v)

A

chatter, babble

68
Q

Prattle (v)

A

to babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner

69
Q

Precarious (adj)

A

uncertain, risky, dangerous

70
Q

Precept (n)

A

Rule establishing standards of conduct, a doctrine that is taught

71
Q

Precipitate (adj)

A

acting with excessive haste or impulse

72
Q

Precipitate (v)

A

to cause or happen before anticipated or required

73
Q

Precursor (n)

A

something that precedes and indicates or announces another

74
Q

Predilection (n)

A

a disposition in favor of something, preference

75
Q

Preempt (v)

A

to replace, to supercede, to appropriate

76
Q

Preemption

A

a prior appropriation of or claim to something, (and preemptive means characterized by preemption)

77
Q

Preen (v)

A

to dress up, primp, groom oneself with elaborate care; in animals, to clean fur or feathers

78
Q

Prescience (n)

A

knowing of events prior to their occuring

79
Q

Presumptuous (adj)

A

overstepping bounds, as of propriety or courtesy; taking liberties

80
Q

Prevaricate (v)

A

to deliberately avoid the truth, mislead

81
Q

Pristine (adj)

A

pure, uncorrupted, clean

82
Q

Prize (v)

A

to pry, press or force with a lever

83
Q

Probity (adj)

A

adherence to highest principles, uprightness

84
Q

Proclivity (n)

A

a natural predisposition or inclination

85
Q

Prodigal (adj)

A

recklessly wasteful, extravagant, profuse, lavish

86
Q

Prodigious (adj)

A

abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary

87
Q

Profligate (adj)

A

excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant

88
Q

Profuse (adj)

A

given or coming forth abundantly, extravagant

89
Q

Profusion

A

abundance or extravagance

90
Q

Prolific (adj)

A

producing large volumes or amounts, productive

91
Q

Proliferate

A

to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly

92
Q

Proliferation

A

The act of increasing quickly

93
Q

Prolix (adj)

A

long-winded, verbose

94
Q

Propensity (n)

A

a natural inclination or tendency, penchant

95
Q

Propinquity (adj)

A

nearness in time or place, affinity of nature, kinship

96
Q

Propitiate (v)

A

to appease or pacify

97
Q

Propitious (adj)

A

auspicious, favorable

98
Q

Propriety (n)

A

appropriateness; conformity with standards of acceptable behavior

99
Q

Proprietary

A

associated with ownership

100
Q

Prosaic (adj)

A

dull, unimaginative

101
Q

Proscribe (v)

A

To outlaw or prohibit

102
Q

Whats the difference between Prescription and Proscription?

A

Prescription-what you should do, Proscription-What you are not allowed to do

103
Q

Provident (adj)

A

frugal, looking to the future

104
Q

Providential

A

happening as if from divine intervention

105
Q

Puerile (adj)

A

childish, immature

106
Q

Pugnacious (adj)

A

contentious, quarrelsome, given to fighting, belligerent, Bellicose, querulous

107
Q

Punctilious (adj)

A

precise, paying attention to trivialities, especially in regard to etiquette

108
Q

Pundit (n)

A

an authority on a subject, one who gives opinions

109
Q

Pungent (adj)

A

characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste, penetrating, to the point

110
Q

Pusillanimous (adj)

A

cowardly, craven

111
Q

Putrefy (v)

A

to rot, decay and give off a foul odor, become gangrenous

Word Smart for the GRE 2nd addition (19 decks)

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