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Barrons Vocabulary > Set 17 > Flashcards

Set 17 Flashcards

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2
Q

transitory

A

transient; impermanent; fleeting; n. transitoriness

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3
Q

hothead

A

person who does things too quickly without thinking; adj. hotheaded

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4
Q

interdict

A

prohibit; forbid; n.

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5
Q

punctilious

A

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

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6
Q

shaving

A

very thin piece, usually of wood (cut from a surface with a sharp blade)

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7
Q

concoct

A

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

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8
Q

expedient

A

suitable (for a particular purpose although not necessarily morally correct); practical; politic(prudent); n. something expedient

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9
Q

subdue

A

less intense; quieter; ex. subdued lighting; ex. subdue: conquer; make less intense; quiet; ex. subdue one’s anger

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10
Q

compilation

A

listing of information in tabular or book form; compiling

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11
Q

ornithologist

A

scientific student of birds; n. ornithology: scientific study of birds

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12
Q

cartographer

A

map-maker

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13
Q

nadir

A

lowest point; point on the celestial sphere diametrically opposite the zenith

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14
Q

mimicry

A

imitation

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15
Q

deploy

A

spread out (troops) in an extended though shallow battle line; distribute (persons or forces) systematically or strategically

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16
Q

tender

A

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

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17
Q

reminiscent

A

suggestive of something (in the past); of reminiscence

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18
Q

anachronism

A

an error involving time in a story; something or someone misplaced in time; adj. anachronistic

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19
Q

genuflect

A

bend the knee as in worship

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20
Q

vigilante

A

one who without authority assumes law enforcement powers

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21
Q

tawny

A

brownish yellow

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22
Q

centaur

A

mythical figure, half man and half horse

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23
Q

pathological

A

pertaining to disease; n. pathology: study of disease

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24
Q

egotistical

A

egotistic; excessively self-centered(egocentric); self-important; conceited

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25
Q

jibe

A

agree; be in harmony with; gibe

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26
Q

graduated

A

arranged by degrees (of height, difficulty, etc.)

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27
Q

luxuriant

A

abundant; growing healthily and in large amounts; excessively ornate; rich and splendid; fertile; ex. luxuriant forests/prose; ex: luxurious, luxuriate

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28
Q

juggernaut

A

irresistible crushing force; overwhelming advancing force that crushes everything in its path

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29
Q

coy

A

shy (flirtatiously); showing a (pretended) lack of self-confidence; modest; coquettish; ex: job offerü? ???ñËÈ ¦¤

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30
Q

verisimilitude

A

appearance of truth; quality of appearing to be true or real; likelihood; ex. verisimilitude of her performance as Lady Macbeth

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31
Q

nebulous

A

vague; hazy; cloudy; of a nebula; ex. nebulous proposal

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32
Q

sophisticated

A

worldly wise and urbane; refined; complex; n. sophistication; v. sophisticate

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33
Q

calamity

A

disaster; misery

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34
Q

despot

A

tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; ex: despotism

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35
Q

poise

A

good judgment with composure; balance; v. place in a carefully balanced position

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36
Q

dissertation

A

formal essay; treatise

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37
Q

dais

A

raised platform for speakers or other important people

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38
Q

palette

A

board on which painter mixes pigments(coloring matters)

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39
Q

impregnate

A

make pregnant; fill thoroughly; saturate

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40
Q

conservatory(conservatoire)

A

school of the fine arts (especially music or drama); glass-enclosed area; ex: conservancy

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41
Q

lumen

A

unit of light energy (one candle’s worth)

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42
Q

steep

A

soak; saturate; ex. steep the fabric in the dye bath; adj. precipitous

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43
Q

pecuniary

A

pertaining to money

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44
Q

lagoon

A

shallow body of water or lake near a sea; lake separated from a sea by sandbars or coral reefs

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45
Q

futile

A

useless; hopeless; ineffectual

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46
Q

supercilious

A

haughty; arrogant; condescending; patronizing; ex: eyebrow, cilium

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47
Q

mettle

A

courage (to continue bravely in spite of difficulties); spirit; adj. mettlesome

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48
Q

succinct

A

brief, terse, compact

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49
Q

flounder

A

struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter (as in water, mud, snow, etc.); proceed in confusion

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50
Q

mar

A

spoil the appearance of

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51
Q

affiliation

A

joining; associating with

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52
Q

embitter

A

make bitter; fill with painful or bitter feelings; make sad and angry; ex. He was embittered by many disappointments.

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53
Q

apocryphal

A

(of a story) widely believed but untrue

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54
Q

perspicuity

A

clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity

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55
Q

stalemate

A

deadlock; situation in which further action is blocked

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56
Q

decorum

A

propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners; appropriateness of behavior or conduct

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57
Q

shear

A

remove (fleece or hair) by cutting; remove the hair or fleece from; cut with or as if with shears; n. shears; pair of scissors

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58
Q

singular

A

being only one; individual; unique; extraordinary; odd; ex. singular beauty/behavior

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59
Q

irreproachable

A

beyond reproach; blameless; impeccable; ex. irreproachable conduct

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60
Q

poignancy

A

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

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61
Q

demagogue

A

person who appeals to people’s prejudice; false leader of people; ex: demagoguery

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62
Q

persevere

A

continue steadily in spite of difficulties

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63
Q

penology

A

study of prison management and criminal rehabilitation

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64
Q

dross

A

waste matter; worthless impurities

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65
Q

awful

A

terrible; very bad

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66
Q

levity

A

lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity; lightness of manner

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67
Q

entrance

A

put under a spell(condition caused by magical power); carry away(fill with strong feeling) with emotion; put into a trance; fill with delight

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68
Q

intolerant

A

not willing to accept ways of thinking different from one’s own; ex: tolerant; ex: tolerate

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69
Q

catastrophe

A

calamity ; disaster

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70
Q

paraphrase

A

restate a passage in one’s own words while retaining thought of author; n. restatement of a text in other words

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71
Q

choleric

A

hot-tempered; bad-tempered; irritable; easily angered; ex: cholera

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72
Q

tact

A

skill or sensitivity in dealing with people without causing offence

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73
Q

gargantuan

A

huge; enormous; gigantic; ex: the hero of Gargantua and Pantagruel

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74
Q

partiality

A

state of being partial; inclination; favorable bias; special fondness; preference

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75
Q

sumptuous

A

grand suggesting great expense; lavish; rich; ex. sumptuous feast

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76
Q

cite

A

quote; commend; ex. cited for bravery in an official record

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77
Q

brawny

A

muscular; having well-developed muscles

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78
Q

paleontology

A

study of prehistoric life or fossils; ex: paleo-: ancient or prehistoric; ex. paleography: study of ancient written documents

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79
Q

far-fetched

A

too improbable to be believed; implausible; ex. far-fetched story

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80
Q

illusory

A

illusive; deceptive; not real

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81
Q

factious

A

inclined to form factions; causing dissension

82
Q

penitent

A

repentant; n.

83
Q

verdigris

A

green coating or patina on copper which has been exposed to the weather

84
Q

carping

A

petty criticism; fault-finding; fretful complaining; quibble

85
Q

plummet

A

fall sharply; fall straight down; ex. Stock prices plummeted.

86
Q

prolixity

A

tedious wordiness; verbosity; adj. prolix: wordy; verbose; diffuse

87
Q

alluvial

A

pertaining to soil deposits left by running water

88
Q

refulgent

A

effulgent; brilliant; brightly shining; gleaming; ex. refulgent moon

89
Q

blas'e

A

bored with pleasure or dissipation; uninterested or bored

90
Q

trim

A

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

91
Q

decorous

A

proper (in behavior, conduct, or appearance)

92
Q

replenish

A

fill up again

93
Q

obsidian

A

black volcanic rock

94
Q

musty

A

stale (in odor or taste); spoiled by age; ex: moist

95
Q

pessimism

A

belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess; tendency to take the gloomiest possible view of a situation; adj. pessimistic

96
Q

interrogate

A

question closely; cross-examine; cross-question

97
Q

animus

A

hostile feeling or intent; animosity; hostility; disposition

98
Q

glow

A

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

99
Q

hoodwink

A

deceive; delude

100
Q

bullion

A

gold and silver in the form of bars

101
Q

compulsion

A

compelling; strong desire that is difficult to control; irresistible impulse

102
Q

fuss:

A

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

103
Q

generality

A

vague statement; general statement which is not detailed; quality of being general; greater part; most; ex. generality of people

104
Q

invalid

A

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

105
Q

allegory

A

story, play, or picture in which characters are used as symbols; fable

106
Q

infest

A

inhabit in numbers large enough to be harmful; ex. Mice infested the house; ex. shark-infested waters

107
Q

eventual

A

happening at last as a result; ex. eventual victory

108
Q

allude

A

refer indirectly; n. allusion: indirect reference

109
Q

violate

A

break (a law); defile; desecrate; assault sexually; ex. violate graves

110
Q

porous

A

full of pores; like a sieve

111
Q

diligence

A

steadiness of effort; persistent hard work

112
Q

embody

A

give a bodily form to; incorporate; include

113
Q

luminary

A

celebrity (in a specific field); dignitary; object that gives light (as a celestial body)

114
Q

caldron(cauldron)

A

large kettle

115
Q

postmortem

A

autopsy; adj. occurring after death; of a postmortem

116
Q

indignation

A

anger at an injustice; ex. righteous indignation; adj. indignant

117
Q

impalpable

A

imperceptible(not easily understood); intangible; OP. palpable: tangible; easily perceptible

118
Q

remote

A

distant in manner; aloof

119
Q

celibate

A

abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried; n. celibacy

120
Q

pedestrian

A

ordinary; dull; unimaginative(lacking in imagination); going on foot; ex. pedestrian prose; n.

121
Q

affront

A

insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect; v. insult or hurt the feelings of intentionally

122
Q

disband

A

dissolve; disperse; (of a group) break up and separate; ex. The club has disbanded.

123
Q

polarity

A

state of having two opposite qualities

124
Q

sallow

A

(of the skin) yellowish and unhealthy-looking; sickly in color; ex. sallow complexion due to jaundice

125
Q

congruent

A

in agreement; harmonious; corresponding; coinciding exactly; ex: congruous

126
Q

ephemeral

A

short-lived; fleeting

127
Q

articulate

A

effective; distinct; expressing ideas clearly; having clear sounds; having joints; ex. articulate speech; v. express thoughts and feeling clearly; pronounce clearly; unite by joints

128
Q

strut

A

pompous walk; v. walk in a self-important manner

129
Q

dank

A

damp; unpleasantly wet

130
Q

furrow

A

long shallow trench made by a plow; deep wrinkle in the skin; v.

131
Q

muster

A

gather; assemble (troops); ex. muster up one’s strength for the ordeal; n.

132
Q

vogue

A

popular fashion; ex. Jeans became the vogue.

133
Q

raucous

A

(of voice) harsh and unpleasant; (of people) disorderly and boisterous; ex. raucous shouts

134
Q

ordinance

A

decree; authoritative order

135
Q

penury

A

extreme poverty; stinginess; adj. penurious: very poor; stingy

136
Q

rotunda

A

circular building or hall covered with a dome

137
Q

odium

A

detestation; quality of being odious; hatefulness; disrepute (resulting from hateful conduct)

138
Q

underlying

A

lying below; fundamental

139
Q

legacy

A

gift made by a will; something handed down from an ancestor

140
Q

wary

A

very cautious; watchful

141
Q

waffle

A

speak equivocally about an issue; n.

142
Q

histrionic

A

theatrical; excessively dramatic or emotional; affected; of actors or acting; n. histrionics: histrionic behavior

143
Q

carcinogenic

A

causing cancer; n. carcinogen

144
Q

maelstrom

A

violent whirlpool; violent or tublent situation; ex: stream

145
Q

precipitant

A

something that causes a substance in a chemical solution to separate out in solid form; €¤ËŸç?; OP. solvent

146
Q

outwit

A

outsmart; defeat by behaving more cleverly

147
Q

compact

A

agreement; contract; adj. tightly packed; firm; brief; concise; ex. compact statement

148
Q

infraction

A

violation (of a rule or regulation); breach

149
Q

lectern

A

reading desk or stand for a public speaker

150
Q

metaphor

A

implied comparison; ex: simile

151
Q

earthly

A

of this earth; terrestrial; worldly; not divine; possible; ex. no earthly reason

152
Q

disengage

A

uncouple; separate; disconnect; stop fighting; OP. engage

153
Q

clich'e

A

phrase dulled in meaning by repetition; platitude; adj. clich'ed

154
Q

desultory

A

aimless; haphazard; digressing at random

155
Q

asperity

A

sharpness; roughness; severity (of temper or weather); ex. asperities of a Russian winter

156
Q

haggard

A

wasted away; gaunt; ex. haggard faces of the rescued miners

157
Q

rectify

A

set right; correct; ex: rect-: right

158
Q

litter

A

waste material thrown away (as bits of paper scattered untidily); v. cover untidily with scattered litter

159
Q

enjoin

A

command; order; forbid

160
Q

recidivism

A

habitual return to crime (even after being punished); n. recidivist

161
Q

embrace

A

hug; clasp with the arms; adopt or espouse; accept readily; encircle; include; ex. embrace the cause/socialism; ex. all-embracing; ex: brace; ex: bracelet

162
Q

sybarite

A

lover of luxury; person devoted to pleasure and luxury; ex: Sybaris: an ancient Greek city in Italy

163
Q

eulogistic

A

praising; full of eulogy

164
Q

hierarchy

A

arrangement by rank or standing; authoritarian body divided into ranks; body of persons having authority

165
Q

aegis

A

shield; protection; defense

166
Q

allege

A

state without proof

167
Q

imbibe

A

drink in

168
Q

obeisance

A

bow (to show respect and obedience)

169
Q

comprehensive

A

broad; including a lot or everything; thorough; inclusive

170
Q

prop

A

support placed under or against something; v.

171
Q

bulge

A

protruding part; swelling of a surface; ex. The apple made a bulge in his pocket; v. swell outward; protrude

172
Q

quail

A

cower; shrink back in fear; lose heart

173
Q

plaintive

A

expressing sorrow; mournful; ex. plaintive song

174
Q

subsequent

A

following in time or order; later

175
Q

vendetta

A

blood feud (esp. between two families); ex: Nina Williams

176
Q

stellar

A

pertaining to the stars; of a star performer; outstanding; ex. stellar attraction of the entire performance

177
Q

undertaker

A

funeral director; one whose business is to arrange burials

178
Q

disjunction

A

act or state of separation; disunity; ex: disjunctive: expressing a choice between two ideas; ex: conjunction; ex: conjunctive

179
Q

cadaver

A

corpse; dead human body

180
Q

solecism

A

nonstandard grammatical construction; construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically; violation of social etiquette

181
Q

propagate

A

increase in number by producing young; multiply; spread; ex. Most plants propagate by seed; ex. newspaper propagating their ideas

182
Q

historical

A

connected with history; based on events in history (whether regarded as important or not)

183
Q

stilted

A

bombastic; stiffly pompous; ex. stilted rhetoric; ex: stiff: formal

184
Q

equivocal

A

(of words or statements) ambiguous; intentionally misleading; (of behavior) questionable; OP. unequivocal

185
Q

mutter

A

utter (complaining words) indistinctly in low tones

186
Q

intractable

A

unruly; difficult to manage; ex. intractable problem/child

187
Q

contrite

A

penitent; repentant; n. contrition

188
Q

abash

A

embarrass

189
Q

stickler

A

perfectionist; person who insists things be exactly right

190
Q

factitious

A

artificial; produced artificially; sham; false; ex. factitious tears

191
Q

obsolete

A

outmoded; no longer used

192
Q

gargoyle

A

waterspout carved in grotesque figures on a building

193
Q

toga

A

Roman outer robe

194
Q

filth

A

dirty matter; adj. filthy

195
Q

brusque

A

blunt; abrupt; curt; not wanting to waste time being nice

196
Q

roil

A

make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; disturb

197
Q

taut

A

tight; strained; tense; ready; OP. slack

198
Q

pervert

A

corrupt; turn from right to wrong; misuse; ex. perverted sexual desire/scientific knowledge; n. person whose sexual behavior is not natural

199
Q

impotent

A

weak; ineffective; lacking in physical strength or power

200
Q

velocity

A

speed

Barrons Vocabulary (25 decks)

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