Set 21 Flashcards
solvent
able to pay all depths; n. solvency
inconsequential
insignificant; unimportant
zest
outer skin of an orange used for giving a special taste to food; spice; interest; flavor; spirited enjoyment; ex. add a certain zest to the affair; ex. zest for life
carnal
fleshly; sensual; concerning the desires of the body
celestial
heavenly
stolid
dull; impassive; showing little emotion when strong feelings are expected
contumacious
stubborn and disobedient; resisting authority (esp. disobedient to an order made by a court)
browse
graze; feed on growing grass; skim or glance at casually
rave
overwhelmingly favorable review; v. talk wildly as if mad; ex. raving lunatic
grill
question severely; cook on a grill; broil; n. cooking surface of parallel metal bars
projectile
missile; fired or thrown object (such as stone or bullet)
fortuitous
accidental; by chance; n. fortuity
doom
condemnation to a severe penalty; ruin; fate (esp. a tragic or ruinous one); v.
affinity
feeling of kinship; similarity; ex. strong affinity for her; ex. many affinities between two languages
hindmost
furthest behind; farthest to the rear
indulgent
humoring; yielding; lenient; showing indulgence
ecologist
person concerned with the interrelationship between living organisms and their environment; person concerned with the detrimental effects of human civilization on the environment; ex: ecology
proletarian
member of the working class; blue collar guy; n. proletariat: working class (who have to work for wages)
upright
(sitting or standing) straight up; honest; moral
expertise
specialized knowledge (in a particular field); expert skill
imbroglio
complicated situation (as in a play); painful or complex misunderstanding (as in a play); entanglement; confused mass (as of papers); v. embroil
refute
disprove; prove to be false; n. refutation
obstetrician
physician specializing in delivery(assisting in giving birth) of babies; n. obstetrics; ex: midwife
incorporate
introduce something into a larger whole; include; embody; give material form to; adj.
devise
think up; invent; plan; bequeath; n. bequest
centurion
Roman army officer (commanding a company of about 100 soldiers)
belated
delayed
ashen
ash-colored; deadly pale
mauve
pale purple
self-righteous
sure of one’s own righteousness; moralistic
sinister
evil; ominous
initiate
begin; originate; receive into a group; introduce to a new field or activity; ex. initiate someone into the mysteries of a secret religion; n. one who has been initiated
discourse
serious speech, writing, or conversation; formal discussion (either written or spoken); conversation; v.
ambush
act of lying in wait to attack by surprise; sudden attack made from a concealed position; ex. lie in ambush; v.
rhapsody
excessively enthusiastic expression of feeling; musical composition of irregular form (as if made up as one plays it)
sway
swing from side to side; influence (someone) to change one’s opinion; n.
acknowledge
recognize; admit
perjury
false testimony while under oath; v. perjure oneself: testify falsely under oath
servile
slavish; cringing; n. servility
calorific
heat-producing; n. calorie
pitfall
hidden danger; concealed trap
paragon
model of perfection; ex. paragon of virtue
verbatim
word for word; in the same words; repeating the actual words exactly
protrude
stick out; jut; project; ex. protruding teeth
conception
beginning; forming of an idea; fertilization; v. conceive: form an idea in the mind; devise; become pregnant; ex: inception
palatable
agreeable; pleasing to the taste
hurl
throw forcefully; shout out violently
unique
without an equal; single in kind
nirvana
in Buddhist teachings, the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an impersonal beatitude
emetic
substance causing vomiting; adj.
plaudit
praise; enthusiastic approval; round(succession or series) of applause; adj. plauditory; ex: applaud
query
inquiry; question; v.
amphitheater
oval building with tiers of seats; ex: arena
proxy
authorized agent; authority to act for another
stratagem
deceptive scheme; clever trick
colander
utensil with perforated bottom used for straining
nutrition
process of nourishing or being nourished; ex: malnutrition
capillary
having a very fine bore; resembling a hair; fine and slender; ex. capillary attraction; n. very fine hairlike tube; ex: capillarity
empirical
based on experience
dauntless
bold; fearless
filial
pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter; ex. filial respect
writ
written command issued by a court (telling someone to do or not to do something)
burlesque
give an imitation that ridicules; imitate mockingly
grimace
facial distortion to show feeling such as pain, disgust, etc; v.
sluggish
lazy; slow; inactive; lethargic; ex: slug: nail with no shell
quarry
dig into (to get stone); n. mine; Ì??¨ËŒ
belabor
harp on; dwell on tediously; explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail verbally; beat severely; attack physically
drab
dull; lacking color; cheerless ; ex. drab coat/life
kindred
related; belonging to the same group; similar in nature or character; ex. kindred languages; n. relative; kin; kinship
squat
short and thick; stocky; ex. ugly squat tower; v. n.
morgue
mortuary; place where bodies are kept before burial or cremation
disgruntle
make discontented
macerate
soften by soaking in liquid; waste away; ex. macerate powdered wood to make paper
hut
crude dwelling; shack
impenetrable
not able to be pierced or entered; beyond understanding; impossible to understand; ex. impenetrable mystery
substantial
of substance; material; solid; essential or fundamental; ample; considerable; well-to-do; wealthy
incipient
beginning; in an early stage
quench
assuage or satisfy (thrust); slake; douse or extinguish; put out; suppress
omniscient
all-knowing
wiggle
wriggle; move from side to side with irregular twisting motions
lexicon
dictionary
exude
flow out slowly; discharge (gradually); give forth; n. exudation
expiate
make amends for (a sin)
satirical
using satire; mocking
introvert
one who is introspective or inclined to think more about oneself; adj. introverted
obscure
dark; vague; unclear; not well known; ex. obscure meaning/village; v. darken; cover; make unclear; ex. obscure the moon/meaning
muse
ponder at length; n. source of inspiration (esp. of a poet)
denouement
final outcome; final development of the plot of a play or other literary work; the end of a story when everything is explained
abate
subside or moderate
fell
cruel; (of a disease) deadly
sage
person celebrated for wisdom; wise person; adj. wise
rivet
metal pin used for fastening metal plates together; v. fasten with a rivet; engross
laity
laypersons; laymen; persons not connected with the clergy
rider
amendment or clause added to a legislative bill
crestfallen
dejected; dispirited
oath
solemn promise; blasphemous use of sacred words to express strong feelings; swear-word; ex. ``For Christ’s sake’’
sonic
of sound or its speed in air; ex: subsonic, supersonic
boon
blessing; benefit; something very helpful
guile
deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning; ex. persuade her by guile
rejoinder
reply; retort; comeback; v. rejoin: say in reply
breadth
width; extent
gratuity
tip
ominous
threatening; of an evil omen
stock
standard; kept regularly in stock or supply; typical; routine; common; ex. stock sizes of paper; ex. stock excuse/character; n. goods for sale in a shop; OP. unique
infer
deduce; conclude; n. inference
untenable
(of a position, esp. in an argument) indefensible; not able to be maintained
ragamuffin
dirty child in torn clothes; person wearing tattered clothes
baroque
highly ornate
convivial
pleasantly merry; festive; joyous; gay; characterized by joviality; jovial
inexorable
relentless; unyielding; implacable; not capable of being changed by entreaty or efforts; ex. inexorable price rises
genealogy
record of descent; lineage; ancestry; study of ancestry
serrated
having a sawtoothed edge; ex. serrated leaf
drivel
nonsense; foolishness; v. talk nonsense
suppliant
entreating; beseeching; n.
saccharine
cloying sweet; characteristic of sugar or saccharin
pittance
small amount (of money); small allowance or wage
precinct
division of a city for election or police purposes; precincts: space that surrounds a building; ex. precincts of the college
pyromaniac
person with an insane desire to set things on fire
graze
(of an animal) feed on growing grass; cause (an animal) to feed on grass; scrape (esp. the skin) or touch lightly in passing; brush; ex. We can’t graze the cattle till summer; n. surface wound
contusion
bruise
import
significance; importance; meaning
gentle
kindly; soft; mild; of good family
moodiness
fits of depression or gloom; adj. moody: given to changeable moods; subject to periods of depression; gloomy ex: mood:
swear-word
word considered offensive; ex. ``bloody’’
benefactor
gift giver; patron; person who does good or who gives money for a good purpose
polemic
attack or defense of an opinion; controversy or refutation; argument in support of point of view; n. polemics: art of debate or controversy
tractable
docile; easily managed; (of something) easily changed or molded; n. tractability
penetrate
enter into; pierce; permeate; see through; grasp the inner significance of; understand
bombardment
attack (as with missiles or bombs); v. bombard
revelry
boisterous merrymaking; v. revel: engage boisterous festivities; enjoy greatly; n. boisterous festivity or celebration
spin
rotate swiftly; make (thread) by twisting (cotton, wool, etc.); n.
hide
skin of an animal
adept
expert at; very skilled
smug
self-satisfied; complacent
repast
meal; feast; banquet
appraise
estimate value of; n. appraisal
fancier
breeder or dealer of animals; one who has a special interest, as for raising specific plant or animal
egoism
excessive interest in one’s self; belief that one should be interested in one’s self rather than in others; selfishness; adj. egoistic, egoistical
plebiscite
direct vote by the entire electorate (on an important issue)
lilliputian
extremely small; ex: Lilliput in Gulliver’s Travels
sever
separate; cut off (a part) from a whole; break up (a relationship); n. severance; ex: severance pay: extra pay given an employee upon leaving a position
except
exclude; n. exception: objection; exclusion; adj. exceptional: unusual; of unusually high quality
meddlesome
interfering; v. meddle: interfere
obfuscate
confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex; make so confused as to be difficult to understand
tatter
torn piece of cloth; adj. tattered: (of clothes) old and torn; (of a person) dressed in old torn clothes
impart
grant a share of; make known; ex. news to impart
surmise
guess; n.
enthrall
capture; enslave; captivate; hold the complete attention of (as if magic); hold spellbound
bawdy
indecent; obscene; about sex in a rude funny way; ex: bawd
ordeal
severe trial or affliction; difficult experience; trial(test of patience or endurance); affliction
executor
person designated to execute the terms of a will; À??œ Ëó‚¡Ë‚ ç?ËóËò
declivity
downward slope
converse
opposite; adj.
somatic
pertaining to the body; bodily; physical
miasma
swamp gas; heavy vaporous atmosphere often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence; noxious atmosphere or influence
magisterial
authoritative; imperious; commanding; of a magistrate; ex. magisterial study of Roman law; ex. magisterial manner
askew
crookedly; slanted; at an angle
brazen
insolent; without shame; bold; ex. brazen lie; v. face with bold self-assurance or with unshamed confidence
ennui
boredom; listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; ex: annoy
nullify
make invalid; make null; invalidate
aria
operatic solo; a song sung by one person in an opera or oratorio
abominable
detestable; extremely unpleasant
digression
wandering away from the subject; v. digress
extirpate
root up; uproot; destroy completely
tumult
commotion of a great crowd; riot; noise; uproar; adj. tumultuous: noisy and disorderly
smirk
conceited smile; offensively self-satisfied smile (often at someone else’s misfortune); v.
subsidiary
serving to assist; subordinate; secondary; of a subsidy; n.
cantankerous
ill-humored; irritable
decree
authoritative order; edict; judgment of a court of law; v. order or judge by decree
engaged
employed; busy; betrothed; involved in conflict
maroon
leave helpless on a deserted island or coast; adj. red brown
jest
playful remark or act; v. act or speak playfully
philistine
narrow-minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain; uncultured person who is indifferent to artistic and cultural values; member of an ancient people in Palestine; OP. aesthete
divine
perceive intuitively (by or as if by magic); foresee the future; foretell; dowse; adj. n. divination
disclose
reveal; n. disclosure
earthy
unrefined; coarse; of earth; ex. earthy remarks; OP. ethereal
injurious
harmful; causing injury
gaunt
lean and angular; thin and bony; emaciated; barren
confidential
spoken or written in secret; trusted with private matters; ex. confidential secretary
momentum
quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus; moving force
grim
causing great fear; unrelenting; determined in spite of fear; ex. grim smile
lag
move or develop more slowly; straggle; ex. lag behind the rest; n.
maim
mutilate; injure lastingly; disable; cripple; ex. maimed for life
revile
attack with abusive language; vilify(slander)
juridical
of the law and its administration; ex: judicial: of courts of law; ex: judiciary
self-indulgence
excessive indulgence of one’s own desire
conversant
familiar with; having knowledge of
brochure
pamphlet
lethargic
drowsy; dull; n. lethargy: state of sluggishness and inactivity
galvanize
stimulate or shock by an electric current; stimulate by shock; shock into action; stir up; coat with rust-resistant zinc by using electricity
idyll(idyl)
short poem idealizing rural life; simple happy period of life (in the country); scene from such a time; ex. idyll of two young lovers
decrepitude
state of collapse or weakness caused by illness or old age
inherent
firmly established by nature or habit; intrinsic
irrevocable
unalterable; irreversible; impossible to revoke
crevice
crack; fissure
defeatist
resigned to defeat or failure; accepting defeat or failure as a natural outcome; n. ex: defeatism
pterodactyl
extinct flying reptile; ex: wing+finger
inhibit
restrain; prohibit; retard or prevent; n. inhibition
xenophobia
fear or hatred of foreigners; n. xenophobe
