Set 20 Flashcards
xenophobia
fear or hatred of foreigners; n. xenophobe
conduit
aqueduct; passageway for fluids
dotage
senility; feeblemindedness of old age; ex. In one’s dotage
mitigate
appease; moderate; make or become less in force or intensity
quiver
case for arrows
accede
agree
dilatory
delaying; tending to delay
disconsolate
hopelessly sad (at the loss of something)
sophomoric
immature; half-baked; like a sophomore
vainglorious
boastful; excessively conceited; n. vainglory: great vanity
vulpine
like a fox; crafty
spoonerism
accidental transposition of sounds in successive words; ex. Let me sew you to your sheet'' forLet me show you to your seat’’; ex: William Spooner
peerless
having no equal; incomparable
turbulence
state of violent agitation; adj. turbulent: violently agitated or disturbed
ceremonious
marked by formality; extremely formal and polite; ex: ceremony: conventional social courtesy
epoch
period of time
desperate
having lost all hope; despairing; reckless and violent because of loss of hope or despair; undertaken as a last resort
epithet
word or phrase characteristically used to describe a person or thing; descriptive phrase to characterize a person (often contemptous)
groom
man employed to take care of horses; v. make neat and trim; clean and brush (an animal)
tacit
understood (without actually being expressed); not put into words; ex. tacit agreement
swarm
large group of insects moving in a mass; crowd of people or animals; v. move in a crowd or mass
exigency
urgent situation; adj. exigent
averse
reluctant; disinclined; not liking or opposed; ex. averse to cats/doing the house work
estranged
separated; alienated; v. estrange: alienate (people in a family); n. estrangement
aphasia
loss of speech due to injury or illness
subterfuge
stratagem(deceptive scheme); pretense; evasion; ex. resort to a harmless subterfuge
retract
withdraw; take back; draw back; ex. retract a statement/an offer/claws; n. retraction; ex: retractile
comestible
something fit to be eaten
seminal
related to seed or semen; germinal; creative; providing a basis for further development; influencing future developments; ex. seminal research in a new field
vagary
capricious happening; caprice; whim; ex: wander
squander
waste; spend foolishly
bookish
fond of books and reading
disheveled
untidy (of hair or clothing); v. dishevel
ingenuous
naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated; candid
sunder
separate; part; ex: asunder
obelisk
tall column tapering(becoming gradually narrower toward the end) and ending in a pyramid
quaff
drink with zest; drink with relish(zest; hearty enjoyment); ?†?©?†?© ü¦?Ì«ô; ex: sip
incumbent
obligatory; imposed as an obligation; currently holding an office; n. person who holds an office
whorl
ring of leaves around stem; ring; circular arrangement;
volley
simultaneous discharge of a number of shots; v.
piquant
pleasantly tart-tasting; spicy; pleasantly stimulating; ex. piquant situation when my old enemy asked for my help
jaunty
cheerful and pleased with life; lighthearted; animated; easy and carefree; dapper in appearance; ex. jaunty person/hat
millennium
thousand-year period (as in the New Testament); hoped-for period of happiness and prosperity
antiquated
obsolete; old-fashioned; outdated
nautical
pertaining to ships or navigation
mutinous
unruly; rebellious; ex. mutinous teenagers; n. mutiny: open rebellion; ex: mutineer
rationale
fundamental reason or principle (on which a system or principle is based); fundamental reason or justification; grounds for an action
glutinous
sticky; viscous; gluey
exchequer
treasury; ex. Chancellor of the exchequer
imperil
put in danger
requiem
mass for the dead; dirge
bluster
blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully; speak in a noisy or bullying manner; ex: breeze, gust, gale
pastry
paste of flour and water (eaten when baked)
polarize
split into opposite extremes or camps
finery
beautiful clothes for a special occasion
corpuscle
red or white cell in the blood
blight
plant disease; v. infect with blight; ruin; destroy
mass
Christian religious ceremony; ex: Mass: ceremony of the Eucharist
annex
attach; add to a large thing; take possession of; incorporate (territory) into a larger existing political unit (by force); n. building added to a large one
admonish
warn or speak to with gentle disapproval; reprove
dissipate
squander; waste foolishly; scatter
narcissist
conceited person; n. narcissism; ex: narcissus
incarcerate
imprison
stint
supply; allotted amount of work; assigned portion of work; limitation; ex. two-year stint in the army; ex. without stint
drone
talk dully; buzz or murmur like a bee; n.
tureen
deep dish for serving soup
deputize
work or appoint as a deputy; n. deputy: person who has the power to take charge when the leading person is away
resilient
elastic; having the power of springing back; able to recover quickly (as from misfortune)
testy
irritable; impatient and bad-tempered; short-tempered; n. testiness
discriminating
able to see differences; discerning; prejudiced; n. discrimination
conscript
draftee; person forced into military service; v.
germinate
cause to sprout; sprout
excise
cut away; cut out; n. government tax on good produced and used inside a country; n. excision
punitive
punishing; ex. punitive measures
deadpan
wooden; impassive; with no show of feeling; with an expressionless face
validate
make valid; confirm; ratify
aseptic
preventing infection; having a cleansing effect
hone
sharpen (a tool); n. whetstone for sharpening a tool
hummock
small hill; hillock
mundane
worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday; of the ordinary; ex. mundane existence; ex: world
facilitate
help bring about; make less difficult
mobile
movable; not fixed; n. mobility
loft
room or space under the roof; attic
expropriate
take possession of (often for public use and without payment)
brocade
rich, figured(patterned) fabric
repartee
quick clever reply
ventriloquist
someone who can make his or her voice seem to come from another person or thing (without moving lips or jaws); n. ventriloquism, ventriloquy
anthem
song of praise or patriotism; ex. national anthem
scoff
laugh (at); mock; ridicule; ex. scoff at their threats
hostage
person who is kept as a prisoner by an enemy so that the other side will do what the enemy demands
repress
hold back (the natural expression of); restrain; crush; oppress; ex. repressed child; ex. repress a laugh/rebellion
droll
queer and amusing
asunder
into parts; apart; v. sunder
inimical
(of someone) unfriendly; hostile; (of something) harmful; detrimental; ex: enemy
conciliatory
reconciling; soothing; v. conciliate: reconcile; soothe; win the friendly feelings (by removing anger)
bully
one who is habitually cruel to weaker people; v.
controvert
oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict; adj. controversial; n. controversy
incendiary
arsonist; adj. causing fire; of arson; ex. incendiary bomb
vouch
give a personal guarantee; ex. I can vouch for his integrity; n. voucher
fulminate
thunder; explode; issue a severe denunciation
quicksilver
mercury
shoot
new growth from a plant
phenomena
observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation; SG. phenomenon: observable fact; very unusual person, thing, or event; marvel; wonder; ex: phenomenons; adj. phenomenal: very unusual; extraordinary; of a phenomenon; ex. phenomenal strength
repertoire
list of works of music, drama, etc., a performer is prepared to present; ex: repertory
summation
act of finding the total; summing-up; summary (esp. one given by the judge at the end of a trial)
wheedle
deceive, persuade, or obtain by flattery; cajole; coax; ex. wheedle a promise out of her
cadet
student at a military school
renegade
deserter; traitor; adj.
tutelary
protective; pertaining to a guardianship; ex. tutelary deities
cistern
reservoir or water tank
reverberate
echo repeatedly; resound; ex. The thunder reverberated across the valley.
incline
slope; slant; ex. steep incline
gall
bitterness of feeling; nerve; effrontery; «‹ç—(bile); ex: gall bladder
minutiae
petty or trivial details; ex: minutia
ambulatory
able to walk
brindled
tawny or grayish with streaks or spots (of animals)
reverent
respectful; worshipful; v. revere: regard with reverence; n. reverence: profound respect
forgo(forego)
give up; do without
parable
short simple story teaching a moral
negate
cancel out; nullify; cause to have no effect; deny; n. negation
titanic
gigantic; n. titan
importunate
urging; always demanding; troublesomely urgent or persistent
deport
send out of the country; behave; n. deportation, deportment
smear
spread or cover with a sticky substance; n. mark made by smearing
girth
distance around something; circumference
wastrel
waster; profligate
rapt
engrossed; absorbed; enchanted; ex. rapt listener
epaulet(epaulette)
ornament worn on the shoulder (of a uniform, etc.)
creed
system of religious or ethical belief
lumber
move heavily or clumsily; ex. The bear lumbered through the woods; n. timber
glimmer
shine erratically; twinkle; n. dim or unsteady light; faint indication; ex. glimmer of hope
unwonted
unaccustomed; unusual; ex. He arrived with unwonted punctuality.
dour
sullen; gloomy; stubborn
jettison
throw overboard (from a ship or plane)
gale
windstorm; gust of wind; emotional outburst (laughters, tears); ex. gale of laughter
feud
bitter prolonged quarrel (usually between two peoples or families); v. ex: Romeo and Juliet; ex: feudal, feudalism
shrivel
make or become shrunken and wrinkled (often by drying)
trickle
flow in drops or in a thin stream; n.
intelligentsia
intellectuals; members of the educated elite (often used derogatorily)
tiller
handle used to move boat’s rudder (to steer)
negligence
neglect; failure to take reasonable care; adj. negligent: neglectful; lax; not taking enough care
anomalous
abnormal; irregular
entourage
group of attendants; retinue; ex: surround
annul
make void
insolence
impudent disrespect; haughtiness; adj. insolent; ex: haughty + rude
inflated
exaggerated; pompous; enlarged (with air or gas)
warranted
justified; authorized
languid
lacking energy or vitality; weary; sluggish; listless
premise
assumption; postulate; proposition upon which an argument is based
contempt
scorn; disdain; adj. contemptuous; ex: contemptible
relent
become less severe; give in(surrender); adj. relentless: unyielding; continuously severe
cunning
clever in deceiving; sly; n. cleverness in deceiving; deceit
warranty
guarantee; assurance by seller
explicit
totally clear; definite; outspoken
gazette
official periodical publication; newspaper
garner
gather; store up; amass
discursive
(of a person or writing) digressing; rambling (without any clear plan)
lucrative
profitable; producing wealth
prefatory
introductory; of a preface
acidulous
slightly sour (in taste or manner); sharp; caustic
cryptic
mysterious; hidden; secret
veritable
being truly so; real or genuine; actual; not false or imaginary
reinstate
restore to a previous condition or position
sherbet
flavored dessert ice
blare
loud or harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light
eddy
swirling current of water, air, etc.; v.
cataract
great waterfall; eye abnormality (causing a gradual loss of eyesight)
innovation
change; something newly introduced; introduction of something new; v. innovate: begin or introduce (something new); be creative; adj. innovative
fertile
producing many young, fruits, or seeds; (of land) producing good crops; v. fertilize
suitor
man who is courting a woman
shyster
lawyer using questionable methods; unscrupulous practioner
ascribe
refer; attribute; assign
hortatory
encouraging; exhortive; marked by exhortation; ex: exhort
vestige
trace; remains; ex. vestiges of some ancient religion
reckon
count; calculate; regard as; think; suppose
vaunted
boasted; bragged; highly publicized; v. vaunt: boast; brag
sloth
slow moving tree-dwelling mammal; laziness; adj. slothful: lazy; indolent
dowse
use a divining rod to search for underground water or minerals
fructify
bear fruit; produce fruit
acerbity
bitterness of speech and temper; adj. acerbic: bitter; acrid (in taste, manner, or tone)
malapropism
comic misuse of a word; ex: Mrs. Malaprop
unseemly
unbecoming; not proper in behavior; indecent; ex. leave with unseemly haste
unintimating
unfrightening
apathy
lack of caring; indifference; lack of concern or interest in important matters; ex. He was sunk in apathy after his failure; adj. apathetic
murmur
low, indistinct, continuous sound; v. ex: mumble
gesticulation
motion; gesture; v. gesticulate: make gestures (while speaking)
phalanx
formation of infantry carrying overlapping shields and long spears; group of men packed together (for attack or defense)
flighty
(esp. of a woman’s behavior) capricious; often changing, esp. from one lover to another; impulsive
cerebral
pertaining to the brain or intellect; intellectual rather than emotional; ex: cerebrum
stupor
state of being stupefied; state of apathy; daze; lack of awareness
resurrect
revive
profusion
great amount; plenty; overabundance; excess; lavish expenditure; ex. profusion of choices; adj. profuse: plentiful; copious; giving or given abundantly; extravagant
steadfast
steadily loyal; unswerving; steady
disgorge
surrender something (stolen); eject; vomit; OP. gorge
vernal
pertaining to spring
noose
loop formed in a rope
clapper
striker (tongue) of a bell
confine
shut in an enclosed space; restrict; keep within limits; n. confinement
forestall
prevent by taking action in advance
