Set 16 Flashcards
velocity
speed
court
attempt to gain; seek; woo; risk; behave so as to invite; attempt to gain the favor of by attention; ex. court disaster
recumbent
reclining; lying down completely or in part
degradation
humiliation; debasement; degeneration; v. degrade: debase; disgrace; degenerate; reduce (something) in worth; demote (someone); reduce in rank
culpable
deserving blame; blameworthy
camp
group sharing a common cause or opinion
posture
assume an affected pose; act artificially; n. pose; attitude
limpid
crystal clear
accretion
growth or increase in size by gradual addition; growth; increase; increase by natural growth; ex. towers and other accretions of the castle; v. accrete
shade
slight difference in degree; nuance; degree of color; ex. shades of meaning/grey
conscientious
scrupulous; through and careful; ex. conscientious worker
canny
shrewd in money matters; thrifty
haphazard
random; by chance; happening in an unplanned manner; ex. haphazard growth of the town
willowy
flexible; pliant; slender; ex: willow
panacea
cure-all; remedy for all diseases
career
rush wildly; go at full speed
depreciate
lessen in value; belittle; represent as of little value
curb
chain or strap used with a bit to restrain a horse; something that checks; v. check; restrain
existential
pertaining to existence; pertaining to the philosophy of existentialism
simile
comparison of one thing with another, using the word like or as
pharisee
Pharisee: member of an ancient Jewish group that emphasized strict observance of the Mosaic law (considering themselves very holy); hypocritical self-righteous person
sensuous
giving pleasure to the senses; pertaining to the physical senses; operating through the senses; sensuous feeling of soft velvet on the skin
predecessor
former occupant of a post
elysian
relating to paradise; blissful
mote
small speck (esp. of dust)
abnegation
renunciation; self-sacrifice; self-abnegation
gullible
easily deceived
antediluvian
antiquated; extremely ancient
discrete
separate; unconnected
dictum
authoritative and weighty statement (made by a judge in court); saying; maxim; ex: obiter dictum: incidental, nonbinding remark (something said in passing)
revert
relapse; backslide; turn back to; return to the former owner; n. reversion
smudge
dirty mark with unclear edges made by rubbing; v.
parquet
floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic like matter; ex: strip: long narrow piece
precipitous
steep; overhasty; precipitate
denizen
(animal, person, or plant) inhabitant or resident of a particular place; regular visitor
testator
maker of a will; ex: testatrix
inadvertently
unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly
embargo
ban on commerce or other activity
cherubic
angelic; innocent-looking; n. cherub; ex: seraph: winged angel of the highest order
hysteria
excessive or uncontrollable excitement; n. hysteric: person suffering from hysteria; ex: hysterics: attack of hysteria
ancillary
serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary; n.
rally
come or bring together; call up or summon (forces, vital powers, etc.); revive or recuperate (after illness or difficulty); n. act of rallying; mass gathering
subaltern
subordinate
fancied
imagined; unreal
kindle
start a fire; ignite; inspire; arouse
precipice
cliff; dangerous position; ex. on the edge of the precipice
vent
release or discharge through a vent; express (esp. unfairly); utter; ex. He vented his wrath on his family.
scheme
systematic plan; plot; clever dishonest plan; orderly arrangement of elements; ex. health insurance scheme; ex. a scheme to escape taxes; ex. a color scheme; ex. a story with no scheme; v. contrive a scheme
bauble
trinket; cheap jewel; trifle
multiplicity
state of being numerous or multiple; large number; ex. multiplicity of details; adj. multiple: of more than one element
claustrophobia
fear of being locked in
penance
self-imposed punishment for sin; ex. do penance for one’s sins; ex: penitent
piscatorial
pertaining to fishing; ex: Pisces
termination
end; v. terminate
clip
cut off with shears; fasten; n. something clipped off (as a short extract from film); clasp or fastener
bequeath
leave to someone by means of a will; hand down in his will; n. bequest
baffle
frustrate; perplex
colossus
gigantic statue; person or thing of great size or importance
crust
hard outer covering (as of earth or snow)
incisive
(appreciatively) cutting; sharp; ex. incisive remarks; v. incise: make a cut into
effigy
dummy; likeness of a person made of wood, paper, or stone; ex. burn an effigy of the President
glossy
smooth and shining; n. gloss: shiny brightness on a surface; superficially attractive appearance; ex. gloss of good manners
gourmand
epicure; person who takes excessive pleasure in food and drink
peremptory
demanding and leaving no choice; imperative; ex. peremptory decree/knock
affable
easily approachable; easy to talk to; warmly friendly
prosperous
successful; rich; affluent; well-to-do; well-off
indenture
bind as servant or apprentice to master; bind by indenture; n. contract binding one party into the service of another for a specified time (as between an apprentice and his master)
statutory
created by statute or legislative action; regulated by statute; ex. statutory age limit
fathomless
too deep to be measured or understood; unfathomable
abysmal
bottomless
adroit
skillful (in using mind or hand)
flinch
hesitate; shrink back (in fear of something unpleasant); ex. She did not flinch in the face of danger.
inception
start; beginning
impervious
impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed; incapable of being affected (in one’s opinions); ex. impervious to water/criticism
emboss
produce a design in raised relief; decorate with a raised design
indicative
suggestive; implying; serving to indicate
leery
(of someone) suspicious; wary; cautious
proponent
supporter; backer; opposite of opponent
regatta
boat or yacht race
convoluted
coiled around; twisted; involved; complicated; intricate; complex; n. convolution: twist; one of the convex folds of the surface of the brain
hale
healthy
dolorous
sorrowful; n. dolor
liquidate
settle accounts; pay off (a debt); clear up; eliminate; kill or abolish
exploit
make use of, sometimes unjustly; n. exploitation
hyperbole
exaggeration; overstatement; adj. hyperbolic: of hyperbole; of a hyperbola
perennial
something long-lasting; perennial plant; adj. lasting through the year or many years; lasting for a long time; enduring
solitude
state of being alone; seclusion; adj. solitary: existing or living alone (esp. by choice); remote or secluded; single; sole; ex. solitary life/inn; ex. no solitary piece of proof
blues
state of depression or melancholy; style of slow, mournful music (evolved from southern Black American songs)
demographic
related to population balance; n. demography: statistical study of human population
indefatigable
tireless; untiring; showing no sign of getting tired
dribble
flow or fall in drops; let saliva flow out slowly from the mouth; move a ball; n.
regent
a person who governs in place of a ruler who is ill, absent, or still a child; adj. ex. the Prince regent
goad
urge on; drive with a goad; cause (someone) to do something by continued annoyance; ex. They goaded him into doing it by saying he was a coward; n. sharp-pointed stick for driving cattle; stimulus; ex: annoy continually
delve
dig; search deeply; investigate
trigger
set off; start
chimerical
fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; n. chimera: unreal fancy; fire-breathing female creature
anthropomorphic
having human form or characteristics
rou'e
lecherous man
subservient
behaving like a slave; servile; obsequious; subordinate; n. subservience
trickster
person who cheats people
pliable
flexible; easily influenced; yielding; adaptable
recipient
receiver
grievance
cause of complaint; complaint
tenuous
thin; slim; rare
tribunal
court of justice
ardor
heat; passion; zeal; adj. ardent
subjugate
conquer; bring under control
putrescent
becoming putrid; putrefying
vixen
female fox; ill-tempered woman; ex: shrew
inamorata
woman whom a man loves
indecision
irresolution; inability to make up one’s mind
undulating
moving with a wavelike motion; v. undulate; ex: und: wave
actuarial
calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics
harbinger
forerunner (which foreshadows what is to come)
stumble
trip and almost fall; proceed unsteadily; act falteringly; n.
bizarre
fantastic; violently contrasting; noticeably odd; strikingly unconventional
ordination
ceremony conferring holy orders; ceremony of ordaining a priest
founder
fail completely; sink; ex: flounder
supplicate
petition humbly; pray to grant a favor
appease
pacify or soothe; ex. appease a crying baby; n. appeasement
eminent
rising above others; high; lofty; distinguished; ex. eminent position
gild
cover with a thin layer of gold
opportunist
individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances; n. opportunism
patent
obvious; easily seen; open for the public to read; of or protected by a patent; ex. patent to everyone; n.
gavel
hammerlike tool; mallet(wooden hammer) used by a presiding officer or an auctioneer; v.
nonentity
person of no importance; nonexistence
epigram
witty thought or saying, usually short
ingenue
ing'enue; young innocent girl
gorge
stuff oneself (with food); glut; ex: gorgeous: dazzlingly beautiful
cordial
warmly friendly; gracious; heartfelt; ex. cordial welcome
monastic
related to monks or monasteries; removed from worldly concerns
maternal
motherly; n. maternity: motherhood
incarnate
endowed with flesh; invested with bodily form; personified; ex. devil incarnate; v. give bodily form to; embody
calligraphy
beautiful writing; excellent penmanship
cavil
quibble; make frivolous objections; find fault unnecessarily
decollete
(of a dress) having a low-cut neckline; ex: d'ecolletage: low neckline (on a dress)
windfall
fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event
oversee
watch over and direct; supervise; n. oversight: unintentional failure to notice or do something; supervision
reimburse
repay; pay back
schism
division into factions (esp. within a religious body); split
acrimonious
stinging; caustic; bitter in words or manner; n. acrimony: bitter ill-natured animosity in speech or behavior
sleazy
shabby and dirty; flimsy; insubstantial; ex. sleazy back-street hotel/fabric
roster
list (of names)
husbandry
frugality; thrift; economy; agriculture; farming; ex. animal husbandry; ex: husbandman
preternatural
beyond what is normal in nature; supernatural; ex. preternatural strength/forces
ignoble
unworthy; not noble; dishonorable; ex. ignoble deed
sheaf
bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied together
fleck
spot; mark with flecks; n. small mark or spot
hindsight
understanding the nature of an event after it has actually happened
ballast
heavy substance used to add stability or weight; v. supply with ballast
devolve
deputize; pass or be passed to others (power, work, or property); ex. devolve on/upon/to
paramour
illicit lover
regale
entertain
viper
poisonous snake
outlandish
bizzare; peculiar; unconventional
rampart
defensive mound of earth
finish
surface texture; completeness of execution
accoutre
equip; n. accoutrement
tarnish
make or become dull or discolored; n.
pith
core or marrow; spongelike substance in the center of stems; essence; substance
reserve
self-control; self-restraint; formal but distant manner; reticence; ex. without reserve: freely and openly; adj. reserved: shy and uncommunicative
tactile
pertaining to the organs or sense of touch
dispassionate
calm; impartial; not influenced by personal feelings
hermetic
concerning alchemy or magic; obscure and mysterious; occult
perturb
disturb greatly
herald
messenger; sign of something to come; v. announce; proclaim; ex. unheralded researcher
clamor
loud continous noise; continuous demand or complaint made by a large number of people; v. make a clamor; express (a demand) continually and loudly; adj. clamorous
expunge
cancel; remove a word or name (from a book or list); erase
sly
clever in deceiving; secretive; not telling one’s intentions
pending
not yet decided or settled; impending; ex. pending decision; PREP. while awaiting; until; ex. delay the decision pending his return
eulogy
expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone’s death; v. eulogize
idiom
expression whose meaning as a whole differs from the meanings of its individual words; distinctive style (of expression); ex. idiom of the modern popular music; adj. idiomatic
spry
(esp. of older people) vigorously active; nimble
abbreviate
shorten
gross
total; fragrant; clearly wrong; (of people’s behavior) coarse; corpulent; ex. gross insolence/behavior; v. earn as a total amount; n. 12 dozens
yen
strong desire; longing; urge; ex. yen for travel
cascade
small waterfall
monochrome
painting in only one color; adj.
trivia
trifles; unimportant matters
funereal
sad; solemn; suitable for a funeral
cognitive
having to do with knowing or perceiving related to the mental processes; n. cognition: the mental process of knowing
emancipate
set free; liberate
well-bred
of good upbringing; well-mannered and refined
sportive
playful; frolicsome; merry; ex: sport: play or frolic; ex: sportsmanlike
hypercritical
excessively exacting; too critical (without noticing good qualities)
fray
brawl; fight; v. wear away or unravel by rubbing; have loose threads developing; cause to become worn out (a person’s temper or nerves); ex: rub
herd
group of animals; crowd; one who looks after a herd; ex. shepherd/goatherd; ex. herd instinct; ex. herdsman; v. come together in a herd; look after a herd; ex. herd cattle
pretend
feign; pretend to: claim to possess; make pretensions to; ex. I don’t pretend to much expertise; n. pretense
disembark
debark; go ashore (from a ship); unload cargo from a ship; ex: embark
stipend
pay for services
poseur
person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc., to impress others; person who poses; ex: pose
nascent
incipient; coming into being or existence; ex. nascent ability in music
ossify
change or harden into bone; become hard and unchanging in one’s ideas
distort
twist out of shape; give a false account of; misrepresent; n. distortion
apogee
highest point; the point farthest from the earth; OP. perigee
kinetic
producing motion; of motion
awry
distorted; crooked; bent; ex. Our plans have gone awry.
domicile
home; v. adj. domiciled: having one’s domicile; ex. He is domiciled in Britain.
fiasco
total failure; ex: bottle
