Set 24 Flashcards
saga
Scandinavian myth; any legend; long heroic narrative
stanch
stop or check flow of blood; ex. stanch the gushing wound
vivisection
act of dissecting living animals
analgesic
causing insensitivity to pain; n.
expatriate
exile; someone who has withdrawn from his native land; v. exile; banish; leave one’s country
havoc
widespread damage; disorder; chaos
elated
filled with excited joy and pride; overjoyed; in high spirits; joyful and proud; ex. elated crowd; v. elate; n. elation
prophetic
of a prophet or prophecy; having to do with predicting the future; n. prophecy; v. prophesy; n. prophet
blue
gloomy; depressed
ramification
branching out; subdivision; one branch of a system; one of the results following from an action or decision; ex. ramifications of a business/the decision
ferocious
fierce; violent; n. ferocity
avarice
greediness for wealth
retroactive
taking effect before its enactment (as a law) or imposition (as a tax); (of a law) having effect on the past as well as the future
ideology
system of ideas characteristic of a group or culture
assuage
mak less severe; ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger)
wrongheaded
stubbornly wrong
apprehensive
fearful; discerning
granary
storehouse for grain
unkempt
disheveled; uncared for in appearance; not combed; ex: comb
chaste
morally pure; virginal; abstaining from illicit sexual acts; modest; simple (of a style of writing); not highly decorated; austere
attribute
essential quality; v. ascribe; explain
backslide
revert (to bad habits); n. reverter
eclipse
darken; extinguish; outshine; surpass; cause an eclipse
methodical
systematic; n. method: systematic method of procedure
apparent
evident; easily seen or understood; appearing as such; ex. apparent improvement
bacchanal
noisy party with a lot of drinking
oblivion
obscurity; condition of being completely forgotten; forgetfulness
equity
fairness; justice; OP. inequity
malady
illness
lambaste
beat; thrash verbally or physically
levee
earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding; ex: raise
vivacious
lively or animated; sprightly
specious
seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally)
etymology
study of word parts; study of the origins of words
oratorio
dramatic poem set to music; long musical work with singing but without acting; ex: cantata
entree(entr'ee)
entrance; a way in; right to enter; main dish of a meal; ex. entree into the exclusive circle
takeoff
burlesque; act of leaving the ground
imperative
absolutely necessary; that must be done; critically important; expressing command; ex. It is imperative that; n. something that must be done
flagrant
conspicuously wicked, bad, or offensive; blatant; outrageous
privation
lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life; hardship; want; ex: deprive
frustrate
thwart; defeat; prevent from accomplishing a purpose
aromatic
fragrant; having a sweet smell; n. aroma: strong pleasant smell
ellipsis
omission of words from a text; mark used to indicate an omission (when the meaning can be understood without them); PL. ellipses
magistrate
official with power to administer the law
cohere
stick together
manipulate
operate with one’s hands; control or play upon (people, forces, etc.) artfully; maneuver; ex. how to manipulate publicity and men; adj. manipulative
multifarious
varied; greatly diversified; ex. multifarious activities
usury
lending money at illegal high rates of interest
patrician
noble; aristocratic; n. person of high rank; aristocrat; ex: member of the governing classes in ancient Rome; ex: plebian
faculty
mental or bodily powers; teaching staff
daunt
intimidate; frighten; discourage; dishearten
pander
cater to (the low desires of others)
boor
rude, insensitive person
impede
hide; retard or obstruct the progress of; block
illusive
deceiving; based on illusion; causing illusion; deceptive
swamp
wetland; marsh; v. flood; overwhelm; drench in with liquid
recapitulate
summarize
denomination
religious group; unit in a system; name or designation; ex: denominator: common trait or characteristic
limbo
region near heaven or hell where certain souls are kept; prison (slang); ex. Purgatory and Limbo
fastidious
difficult to please; squeamish; fussy; finicky
pastiche
imitation of another’s style in musical composition or in writing; work of art openly imitating the works of other artists
sedentary
requiring sitting; done while sitting; not moving from one place to another; settled; ex. sedentary job/population
reminiscence
recollection; v. reminisce: recollect the past
demise
death
qualify
reach a necessary standard; limit the meaning of something stated
barterer
trader; v. barter: trade; exchange good for other goods rather than money
grandiloquent
(of a person or speech) using high sounding or important-sounding language; pompous; bombastic
pretentious
ostentatious; showy; pompous; making unjustified claims; overambitious; ex. pretentious films that claim to be art
ramble
wander aimlessly (physically or mentally); digress
filigree
delicate ornamental lacelike metalwork
pacify
soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue; bring peace to
debut
d'ebut; first public appearance; formal presentation of a young woman to society
fluency
smoothness of speech; adj. fluent
parallelism
state of being parallel; similarity; analogy
motto
brief statement used to express a principle
consort
associate with; keep company; n. husband or wife (or a ruler)
assimilate
absorb; take (food) into the body and digest it; understand (knowledge) completely and be able to use properly; cause to become homogeneous (the people of a country or race in the wasy of behaving or thinking)
vociferous
clamorous; noisy; v. vociferate: cry out loudly (when complaining)
sanctimonious
displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness; n. sanctimony: hypocritical piety
fit
sudden outburst of an illness or feeling; convulsion caused by epilepsy
potential
expressing possibility; latent; n. capacity for growth
mete
measure; distribute; administer; ex. mete out justice/punishment
codicil
supplement to the body of a will; later addition to a will
vivid
(of light or color) bright and distinct; evoking lifelike mental images; ex. vivid red hair/description
potion
dose (of liquids); liquid dose
amalgamate
(of societies or groups) combine; unite in one body
proliferate
grow rapidly (in numbers); spread; multiply; n. proliferation
continence
self-restraint; sexual chastity; sexual abstinence; voluntary control over bladder and bowel functions; adj. continent
invocation
prayer for help (used in invoking); calling upon as a reference or support; act of invoking
mottled
blotched in coloring; spotted; ex. mottled face; v. mottle: mark with blotches of different colors
matriarch
woman who rules a family or larger social group
fermentation
chemical reaction that splits complex organic compounds; unrest; agitation
scrutinize
examine closely and critically; n. scrutiny
incense
enrage; infuriate(make furious); make extremely angry; outrage; n. aromatic substance burned to produce a pleasant odor
frivolous
lacking in seriousness; flippant; self-indulgently carefree; unworthy of serious attention; relatively unimportant; trivial
solstice
point or time at which the sun is farthest from the equator
humble
of low rank or position; modest; having a low opinion of oneself and a high opinion of others; unassuming; not proud; v. humiliate: make humble; cause to feel ashamed or to lose the respect of others
extrude
force or push out; thrust out; shape (plastic or metal) by forcing through a die
deserts
what someone deserves
adherent
supporter; follower
catharsis
purging or cleansing of any passage of the body; purging and weakening of strong emotions as a result of experiencing a dramatic work of art
whimsical
capricious; fanciful; amusingly strange
endearment
fond word or act; expression of affection
virtual
in essence; existing in essence though not in actual form; for practical purposes; ex. virtual ruler/space
embryonic
undeveloped; rudimentary; n. embryo: organism in the early stage of development
vigilant
watchful; on the alert; watchfully awake; alert to spot danger; n. vigilance
prong
pointed projecting part
determinate
having a fixed order of procedure; precisely defined; invariable; fixed; conclusive; final
homeostasis
tendency of a system or organism to maintain relative stability or internal equilibrium; ex: homeo-: constant; ex. homeotherm
forlorn
sad and lonely; wretched; desolate
empathy
ability to identify with another’s feelings, ideas, etc.; identification with and understanding of another’s feelings; v. empathize; ex: sympathy
functional
made for practical use only (without decoration); functioning; ex. functional modern furniture; ex: functionalism
irksome
annoying; tedious; v. irk: annoy
deluge
flood; rush; v.
bilk
swindle; cheat
personify
represent (an inanimate object) as a person; be the embodiment or perfect example of; ex. She is evil/patience personified; n. personification
bureaucracy
overregulated administrative system marked by red tape; adj. bureaucratic
metropolis
large city
frolic
play and jump about happily; frisk; ex. frolicking young lambs
inarticulate
speechless; producing indistinct speech; not articulate; not expressing oneself clearly
shrew
scolding woman; very small mouselike animal
coterie
group that meets socially; select circle; close group of people with shared interests
cache
hiding place; v.
mantle
loose sleeveless outer garment; cloak; something that covers or envelops; the layer of the earth between the crust and the core
detached
emotionally removed; free from emotional involvement; calm and objective; physically separate; n. detachment; ex: attachment
stampede
sudden frenzied rush (of panic-stricken animals or people); v. participate in or cause stampede; ex. stampede before the price rises
frail
weak; n. frailty
thwart
block or hinder; baffle; frustrate
prologue
introduction (to a poem or play)
portend
foretell; presage; be a sign or warning of; n. portent: sign; omen; forewarning
snip
short quick cut with scissors; v. cut with scissors
barrister
counselor-at-law or lawyer in the higher court of law; ex: bar
psychiatrist
doctor who treats mental diseases
astral
relating to the stars
dowdy
untidy (of a woman or clothes); slovenly; dressed in an unattractive way; shabby; ex: unattractive woman
peddle
travel about selling (wares); ex: foot
provocative
arousing anger or sexual interest; annoying; ex. provocative in tight jeans; v. provoke: incite to anger; cause (an unpleasant action or feeling); n. provocation
exemplary
serving as a model; outstanding; ex. exemplary punishment/behavior; n. exemplar: typical example; model
unerringly
infallibly; adj. unerring: making no mistakes
ramshackle
(of a building or vehicle) poorly constructed; rickety; falling apart
skulduggery
dishonest behavior or action; ex. skulduggery in the election
dermatologist
one who studies the skin and its diseases
truism
self-evident truth
opus
work (esp. musical composition); ex. magnum opus: masterpiece; ex: opera
rolling
(of land) rising and falling in long gentle slopes; happening continuously by stages; ex. rolling devolution of power to local governments
eclectic
selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources; selecting individual elements from a variety of sources; n. eclecticism
venerate
revere; treat with great respect
stodgy
dull; stuffy; boringly conservative; ex. stodgy book
douse
plunge into water or liquid; dip; immerse; drench; wet throughly; extinguish; throw water over; dowse
encircle
surround
waggish
humorous; mischievous; tricky
brook
tolerate; endure; ex. brook no interference; n. small stream
bivouac
temporary encampment; camp without tents; v.
Bacchanalia
the ancient Roman festival in honor of Bacchus
deleterious
harmful
artifice
deception; trickery
bid
command; utter (a greeting); offer as a price; n. offer of a price; amount offered; earnest effort to gain something; ex. bid for freedom
lurk
stealthily lie in waiting; slink; exist unperceived
paroxysm
fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage; sudden outburst
incriminate
accuse of or implicate in a crime; serve as evidence against; cause to seem or make guilty of a crime; ex. incriminating evidence
encroachment
gradual intrusion; ex. I resent all these encroachments on my valuable time; v. encroach: take another’s possessions or right gradually or stealthily; intrude; ex. encroach on/upon
raffle
lottery; v. award as a prize in a raffle; ex. raffle off a new car
stricture
severe and adverse criticism; critical comments; limit or restriction
tensile
capable of being stretched; of tension; ex. tensile rubber
nauseous
causing nausea; feeling nausea
cognate
having a common origin; related linguistically; allied by blood; similar or akin in nature; ex. cognate languages; n.
high-flown
highly pretentious or inflated
practicable
feasible
hover
hang about; (of birds or aircraft) stay in the air in one place; (of people) wait nearby; stay around one place; waver; be in an uncertain state
fabricate
build; lie; make up (a story) in order to deceive; ex. fabricate the whole story; ex: fabric: underlying structure; ex. fabric of society
imply
suggest a meaning not expressed; signify
outgoing
sociable; eager to mix socially with others
defection
desertion
piety
devoutness; reverence for God; adj. pious
tremulous
trembling; wavering
convene
come together; assemble; call to meet; ex. convene the council
sustenance
sustaining; means of livelihood, support, food, nourishment; something that maintains life; food
frond
fern leaf; palm or banana leaf
caricature
distortion; burlesque
draft
first rough form; conscription; draught; v. make a draft of; conscript
moratorium
legal delay of payment or action; ex. declare moratorium on the building of new houses
dispel
scatter; drive away; cause to vanish
sacrosanct
invioably sacred; most sacred; inviolable
nutrient
nourishing substance; adj. providing nourishment
sextant
navigation tool used to determine a ship’s latitude and longitude (by measuring the altitudes of stars)
temerity
boldness; nerve; rashness; ex. temerity to ask for a pay increase after only three day’s work
carat(karat)
unit of weight for precious stones; measure of the purity of gold
compendium
brief, comprehensive summary; adj. compendious
bane
posion; cause of ruin; adj. baneful: harmful; poisonous
wage
begin and continue (a war)
irascible
irritable; easily angered
fatuous
smugly and unconsciously foolish; inane; silly; n. fatuity, fatuousness
ruse
trick to deceive; stratagem
conveyance
vehicle; transfer; act of conveying; ex. public conveyance
impassive
without feeling; expressionless; imperturbable; stoical; ex. impassive face
coagulate
congeal; thicken; clot; n. coagulant
plumb
exactly vertical; n. weight on the end of a line; v. examine very carefully or critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding); ex. plumb the depth of
somber
dark; gloomy; melancholy; depressing; ex: shadow
constraint
restraint; compulsion; repression of feelings; reticence; v. constrain: hold back; restrain; compel; oblige; confine forcibly; imprison
