Set 17 Flashcards
transitory
transient; impermanent; fleeting; n. transitoriness
hothead
person who does things too quickly without thinking; adj. hotheaded
interdict
prohibit; forbid; n.
punctilious
minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points; stressing niceties of conduct or form; n. punctilio, punctiliousness: careful attention payed to every small exact detail
shaving
very thin piece, usually of wood (cut from a surface with a sharp blade)
concoct
prepare by mixing or combining; make up in concert; devise (something false) so as to deceive; ex. concoct an elaborate excuse for being late; n. concoction
expedient
suitable (for a particular purpose although not necessarily morally correct); practical; politic(prudent); n. something expedient
subdue
less intense; quieter; ex. subdued lighting; ex. subdue: conquer; make less intense; quiet; ex. subdue one’s anger
compilation
listing of information in tabular or book form; compiling
ornithologist
scientific student of birds; n. ornithology: scientific study of birds
cartographer
map-maker
nadir
lowest point; point on the celestial sphere diametrically opposite the zenith
mimicry
imitation
deploy
spread out (troops) in an extended though shallow battle line; distribute (persons or forces) systematically or strategically
tender
offer formally; extend; ex. tender one’s resignation/the exact fare; n. formal offer; money; ex. legal tender; adj. young and vulnerable; sensitive to the touch; sore; soft; delicate; ex. child of tender years; ex. tender wound
reminiscent
suggestive of something (in the past); of reminiscence
anachronism
an error involving time in a story; something or someone misplaced in time; adj. anachronistic
genuflect
bend the knee as in worship
vigilante
one who without authority assumes law enforcement powers
tawny
brownish yellow
centaur
mythical figure, half man and half horse
pathological
pertaining to disease; n. pathology: study of disease
egotistical
egotistic; excessively self-centered(egocentric); self-important; conceited
jibe
agree; be in harmony with; gibe
graduated
arranged by degrees (of height, difficulty, etc.)
luxuriant
abundant; growing healthily and in large amounts; excessively ornate; rich and splendid; fertile; ex. luxuriant forests/prose; ex: luxurious, luxuriate
juggernaut
irresistible crushing force; overwhelming advancing force that crushes everything in its path
coy
shy (flirtatiously); showing a (pretended) lack of self-confidence; modest; coquettish; ex: job offerü? ???ñËÈ ¦¤
verisimilitude
appearance of truth; quality of appearing to be true or real; likelihood; ex. verisimilitude of her performance as Lady Macbeth
nebulous
vague; hazy; cloudy; of a nebula; ex. nebulous proposal
sophisticated
worldly wise and urbane; refined; complex; n. sophistication; v. sophisticate
calamity
disaster; misery
despot
tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; ex: despotism
poise
good judgment with composure; balance; v. place in a carefully balanced position
dissertation
formal essay; treatise
dais
raised platform for speakers or other important people
palette
board on which painter mixes pigments(coloring matters)
impregnate
make pregnant; fill thoroughly; saturate
conservatory(conservatoire)
school of the fine arts (especially music or drama); glass-enclosed area; ex: conservancy
lumen
unit of light energy (one candle’s worth)
steep
soak; saturate; ex. steep the fabric in the dye bath; adj. precipitous
pecuniary
pertaining to money
lagoon
shallow body of water or lake near a sea; lake separated from a sea by sandbars or coral reefs
futile
useless; hopeless; ineffectual
supercilious
haughty; arrogant; condescending; patronizing; ex: eyebrow, cilium
mettle
courage (to continue bravely in spite of difficulties); spirit; adj. mettlesome
succinct
brief, terse, compact
flounder
struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter (as in water, mud, snow, etc.); proceed in confusion
mar
spoil the appearance of
affiliation
joining; associating with
embitter
make bitter; fill with painful or bitter feelings; make sad and angry; ex. He was embittered by many disappointments.
apocryphal
(of a story) widely believed but untrue
perspicuity
clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity
stalemate
deadlock; situation in which further action is blocked
decorum
propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners; appropriateness of behavior or conduct
shear
remove (fleece or hair) by cutting; remove the hair or fleece from; cut with or as if with shears; n. shears; pair of scissors
singular
being only one; individual; unique; extraordinary; odd; ex. singular beauty/behavior
irreproachable
beyond reproach; blameless; impeccable; ex. irreproachable conduct
poignancy
quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion; adj. poignant: touching; deeply moving; (of sorrow, grief, etc.) painful; keenly distressing to the mind; ex. poignant memory/anxiety; ex: prick
demagogue
person who appeals to people’s prejudice; false leader of people; ex: demagoguery
persevere
continue steadily in spite of difficulties
penology
study of prison management and criminal rehabilitation
dross
waste matter; worthless impurities
awful
terrible; very bad
levity
lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity; lightness of manner
entrance
put under a spell(condition caused by magical power); carry away(fill with strong feeling) with emotion; put into a trance; fill with delight
intolerant
not willing to accept ways of thinking different from one’s own; ex: tolerant; ex: tolerate
catastrophe
calamity ; disaster
paraphrase
restate a passage in one’s own words while retaining thought of author; n. restatement of a text in other words
choleric
hot-tempered; bad-tempered; irritable; easily angered; ex: cholera
tact
skill or sensitivity in dealing with people without causing offence
gargantuan
huge; enormous; gigantic; ex: the hero of Gargantua and Pantagruel
partiality
state of being partial; inclination; favorable bias; special fondness; preference
sumptuous
grand suggesting great expense; lavish; rich; ex. sumptuous feast
cite
quote; commend; ex. cited for bravery in an official record
brawny
muscular; having well-developed muscles
paleontology
study of prehistoric life or fossils; ex: paleo-: ancient or prehistoric; ex. paleography: study of ancient written documents
far-fetched
too improbable to be believed; implausible; ex. far-fetched story
illusory
illusive; deceptive; not real
factious
inclined to form factions; causing dissension
penitent
repentant; n.
verdigris
green coating or patina on copper which has been exposed to the weather
carping
petty criticism; fault-finding; fretful complaining; quibble
plummet
fall sharply; fall straight down; ex. Stock prices plummeted.
prolixity
tedious wordiness; verbosity; adj. prolix: wordy; verbose; diffuse
alluvial
pertaining to soil deposits left by running water
refulgent
effulgent; brilliant; brightly shining; gleaming; ex. refulgent moon
blas'e
bored with pleasure or dissipation; uninterested or bored
trim
make neat or tidy by clipping; reduce by removing what is unnecessary; ornament; decorate (round the edges); ex. trim the cost; ex. jacket trimmed with fur; n. adj. tidy; in good order
decorous
proper (in behavior, conduct, or appearance)
replenish
fill up again
obsidian
black volcanic rock
musty
stale (in odor or taste); spoiled by age; ex: moist
pessimism
belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess; tendency to take the gloomiest possible view of a situation; adj. pessimistic
interrogate
question closely; cross-examine; cross-question
animus
hostile feeling or intent; animosity; hostility; disposition
glow
shine brightly without a flame (as of eyes or metals); show redness and heat (in the face) after hard work or because of strong feelings; n. light produced by a heated body; brilliance of a color
hoodwink
deceive; delude
bullion
gold and silver in the form of bars
compulsion
compelling; strong desire that is difficult to control; irresistible impulse
fuss:
trouble or worry over trifles; make nervous; pay too much attention to; n. needless concern or worry (about a trivial thing); anxious nervous condition; display of attention; ex. make a fuss over the baby
generality
vague statement; general statement which is not detailed; quality of being general; greater part; most; ex. generality of people
invalid
one incapacitated(disabled) by a chronic illness; adj. incapacitated by illness; not valid; null; v. allow to leave (a military force) because of ill-health
allegory
story, play, or picture in which characters are used as symbols; fable
infest
inhabit in numbers large enough to be harmful; ex. Mice infested the house; ex. shark-infested waters
eventual
happening at last as a result; ex. eventual victory
allude
refer indirectly; n. allusion: indirect reference
violate
break (a law); defile; desecrate; assault sexually; ex. violate graves
porous
full of pores; like a sieve
diligence
steadiness of effort; persistent hard work
embody
give a bodily form to; incorporate; include
luminary
celebrity (in a specific field); dignitary; object that gives light (as a celestial body)
caldron(cauldron)
large kettle
postmortem
autopsy; adj. occurring after death; of a postmortem
indignation
anger at an injustice; ex. righteous indignation; adj. indignant
impalpable
imperceptible(not easily understood); intangible; OP. palpable: tangible; easily perceptible
remote
distant in manner; aloof
celibate
abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried; n. celibacy
pedestrian
ordinary; dull; unimaginative(lacking in imagination); going on foot; ex. pedestrian prose; n.
affront
insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect; v. insult or hurt the feelings of intentionally
disband
dissolve; disperse; (of a group) break up and separate; ex. The club has disbanded.
polarity
state of having two opposite qualities
sallow
(of the skin) yellowish and unhealthy-looking; sickly in color; ex. sallow complexion due to jaundice
congruent
in agreement; harmonious; corresponding; coinciding exactly; ex: congruous
ephemeral
short-lived; fleeting
articulate
effective; distinct; expressing ideas clearly; having clear sounds; having joints; ex. articulate speech; v. express thoughts and feeling clearly; pronounce clearly; unite by joints
strut
pompous walk; v. walk in a self-important manner
dank
damp; unpleasantly wet
furrow
long shallow trench made by a plow; deep wrinkle in the skin; v.
muster
gather; assemble (troops); ex. muster up one’s strength for the ordeal; n.
vogue
popular fashion; ex. Jeans became the vogue.
raucous
(of voice) harsh and unpleasant; (of people) disorderly and boisterous; ex. raucous shouts
ordinance
decree; authoritative order
penury
extreme poverty; stinginess; adj. penurious: very poor; stingy
rotunda
circular building or hall covered with a dome
odium
detestation; quality of being odious; hatefulness; disrepute (resulting from hateful conduct)
underlying
lying below; fundamental
legacy
gift made by a will; something handed down from an ancestor
wary
very cautious; watchful
waffle
speak equivocally about an issue; n.
histrionic
theatrical; excessively dramatic or emotional; affected; of actors or acting; n. histrionics: histrionic behavior
carcinogenic
causing cancer; n. carcinogen
maelstrom
violent whirlpool; violent or tublent situation; ex: stream
precipitant
something that causes a substance in a chemical solution to separate out in solid form; €¤ËŸç?; OP. solvent
outwit
outsmart; defeat by behaving more cleverly
compact
agreement; contract; adj. tightly packed; firm; brief; concise; ex. compact statement
infraction
violation (of a rule or regulation); breach
lectern
reading desk or stand for a public speaker
metaphor
implied comparison; ex: simile
earthly
of this earth; terrestrial; worldly; not divine; possible; ex. no earthly reason
disengage
uncouple; separate; disconnect; stop fighting; OP. engage
clich'e
phrase dulled in meaning by repetition; platitude; adj. clich'ed
desultory
aimless; haphazard; digressing at random
asperity
sharpness; roughness; severity (of temper or weather); ex. asperities of a Russian winter
haggard
wasted away; gaunt; ex. haggard faces of the rescued miners
rectify
set right; correct; ex: rect-: right
litter
waste material thrown away (as bits of paper scattered untidily); v. cover untidily with scattered litter
enjoin
command; order; forbid
recidivism
habitual return to crime (even after being punished); n. recidivist
embrace
hug; clasp with the arms; adopt or espouse; accept readily; encircle; include; ex. embrace the cause/socialism; ex. all-embracing; ex: brace; ex: bracelet
sybarite
lover of luxury; person devoted to pleasure and luxury; ex: Sybaris: an ancient Greek city in Italy
eulogistic
praising; full of eulogy
hierarchy
arrangement by rank or standing; authoritarian body divided into ranks; body of persons having authority
aegis
shield; protection; defense
allege
state without proof
imbibe
drink in
obeisance
bow (to show respect and obedience)
comprehensive
broad; including a lot or everything; thorough; inclusive
prop
support placed under or against something; v.
bulge
protruding part; swelling of a surface; ex. The apple made a bulge in his pocket; v. swell outward; protrude
quail
cower; shrink back in fear; lose heart
plaintive
expressing sorrow; mournful; ex. plaintive song
subsequent
following in time or order; later
vendetta
blood feud (esp. between two families); ex: Nina Williams
stellar
pertaining to the stars; of a star performer; outstanding; ex. stellar attraction of the entire performance
undertaker
funeral director; one whose business is to arrange burials
disjunction
act or state of separation; disunity; ex: disjunctive: expressing a choice between two ideas; ex: conjunction; ex: conjunctive
cadaver
corpse; dead human body
solecism
nonstandard grammatical construction; construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically; violation of social etiquette
propagate
increase in number by producing young; multiply; spread; ex. Most plants propagate by seed; ex. newspaper propagating their ideas
historical
connected with history; based on events in history (whether regarded as important or not)
stilted
bombastic; stiffly pompous; ex. stilted rhetoric; ex: stiff: formal
equivocal
(of words or statements) ambiguous; intentionally misleading; (of behavior) questionable; OP. unequivocal
mutter
utter (complaining words) indistinctly in low tones
intractable
unruly; difficult to manage; ex. intractable problem/child
contrite
penitent; repentant; n. contrition
abash
embarrass
stickler
perfectionist; person who insists things be exactly right
factitious
artificial; produced artificially; sham; false; ex. factitious tears
obsolete
outmoded; no longer used
gargoyle
waterspout carved in grotesque figures on a building
toga
Roman outer robe
filth
dirty matter; adj. filthy
brusque
blunt; abrupt; curt; not wanting to waste time being nice
roil
make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; disturb
taut
tight; strained; tense; ready; OP. slack
pervert
corrupt; turn from right to wrong; misuse; ex. perverted sexual desire/scientific knowledge; n. person whose sexual behavior is not natural
impotent
weak; ineffective; lacking in physical strength or power
velocity
speed
