Set 7 Flashcards
authenticate
prove genuine
transpose
reverse the order or position of
acme
peak; pinnacle; highest point
slick
make smooth or glossy; n. smooth surface; ex. oil slick; adj. smooth; glossy; deftly executed; adroit; glib
insomnia
wakefulness; inability to sleep
latent
present but not yet noticeable or active; dormant; hidden; n. latency; ex: potential
utopia
ideal place, state, or society; adj. utopian
institute
organization for a special purpose; v. establish
contention
assertion; claim; thesis; struggling; competition
papyrus
ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant
bliss
complete happiness; adj. blissful
complaisant
trying to please; obliging; willing to please others
partition
divide into parts
bump
hit or knock against with force; n.
invidious
designed to create ill will or envy; tending to rouse ill will or envy; ex. invidious comparison
warrant
justification; written order that serves as authorization (esp. a judicial writ); ex. search/death warrant; v. justify; guarantee
constituent
supporter; voter; member of a constituency; component
score
number of points; written form of a musical composition; reason; group of 20; notch or incision; ex. full/vocal score; ex. Don’t worry on that score; v. mark with lines or notches; ex. score the paper to make it easy to fold
bent
determined; ex. bent on advancing in the business; n. natural talent or inclination
apolitical
having an aversion or lack of concern for political affairs
garbled
mixed up; jumbled; distorted; v. garble: mix up or distort (a message) to such an extent as to make misleading or unintelligible
gauche
clumsy (in social behavior); coarse and uncouth
tightwad
miser; excessively frugal person
obsequious
slavishly attentive; servile; full of servile compliance; sycophantic
consequential
self-important; significant; consequent; following as a result; ex. consequential air; ex: subsequent
recount
narrate or tell (a story); count over again
fathom
comprehend; investigate; determine the depth of; n. unit of measurement for the depth of water
compunction
remorse; strong uneasiness caused by guilt
latitude
freedom from narrow limitations
aghast
filled with great surprise or fear; horrified
undermine
weaken gradually; sap; dig a mine beneath
toss
throw lightly; move or lift (the head) with a sudden motion; flip (a coin) to decide something
bilious
suffering from indigestion; sick from having too much bile; irritable; easily irritated
grotto
small cavern
malleable
(of a metal) capable of being shaped by pounding(beating); pliable; (of someone) impressionable(easily influenced); easily controlled; tractable
providence
quality of being provident; divine care; god’s care; Providence: god; ex. It seemed like providence that the doctor happened to be there; adj. providential: of divine providence; fortunate
balk
stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue; foil; stop or get in the way of; frustrate
coalesce
combine; fuse; n. coalescence
mongrel
plant or animal (esp. a dog) of mixed breed; adj.
molt(moult)
periodically shed or cast off hairs or feathers (for replacement by a new growth)
convex
curving outward
miscellany
mixture of writings on various subjects; collection of various items
solace
comfort in sorrow or trouble; consolation; v. comfort or console in time of sorrow or trouble
hull
husk; dry outer covering of a seed; frame or body of a ship
effluvium
noxious(harmful) smell
ebb
(of the tide) recede; lessen; diminish; n. OP. flow: rise of tide
surrogate
substitute; person or thing used in place of another; ex. surrogate mother; adj.
rebuke
scold harshly; criticize severely
cataclysm
deluge; upheaval; earthquake; violent and sudden event or change
d'eb\^acle
sudden disastrous downfall or defeat; complete disaster
loath
reluctant; unwilling; disinclined; ex. Romeo and Juliet were both loath for him to go.
polemical(polemic)
aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious (rather than simply expressing opinions)
diaphanous
sheer; transparent
anthropologist
student of the history and science of humankind
dysentery
inflammatory disorder of the lower intestinal tract
seine
seine net; net for catching fish
circumlocution
indirect or roundabout expression (by using an uncecessarily large number of words esp. when trying to avoid answering a difficult question directly)
adapt
make or become suitable for a specific use; alter; modify; adjust; n. adaptation: act of adapting; composition recast into a new form; ex. The play is an adaption of a short novel.
incandescent
strikingly bright; shining with intense heat; emitting visible light when heated; ex. incandescent light bulb; ex: candle
rational
(of a person) having reason; (of ideas) based on reason; logical
mat
not shiny; matte; having a dull finish; n. flat piece of material used as a floor covering; v.
beneficial
helpful; useful; advantageous
compelling
overpowering; irresistible in effect; holding one’s attention; that compels one to do something; ex. a compelling adventure story; v. compel
obdurate
stubborn; refusing to change one’s belief
minute
extremely small; ex: minutes: official record of the proceedings at a meeting
covetous
avaricious; desirous of (someone else’s possessions); v. covet: desire eagerly (someone else’s possessions)
firebrand
piece of burning wood; hothead; troublemaker; person who stirs up trouble
finesse
delicate skill; v. handle with finesse
incessant
uninterrupted; unceasing
brackish
somewhat saline
plethora
excess; overabundance; ex. a plethora of excuses
exorcise
drive out evil spirits
glare
shine intensely and blindingly; stare fixedly and angrily; n.
muted
silent; muffled; toned down; ex. muted traffic noise
premeditate
plan in advance; ex. premeditated murder
assiduous
diligent
insurrection
rebellion; uprising
musky
having the odor of musk; n. musk: odorous substance secreted by an Asian deer
chronicle
report; record (in chronological order)
rudimentary
elementary; not developed; crude; n. rudiment: fundamental element or principle; ex. rudiments of the language
adjacent
adjoining; neighboring; close by
woeful
sad; (of something bad) deplorable; deplorably bad; ex. woeful housing conditions
suffocate
die or kill from lack of air; suppress
yoke
join together; unite; n. crossbar used to joining two draft animals
queer
strange; eccentric; deviating from the normal
deign
condescend; stoop
quotidian
daily; commonplace; customary; ex. quotidian routine
indubitable
unable to be doubted; which cannot be doubted; unquestionable
dissemble
disguise; hide the real nature of; pretend
diffidence
shyness; lack of self-confidence; timidity; adj. diffident
bungle
mismanage; blunder; botch; blow; spoil by clumsy behavior
idolatry
worship of idols; excessive admiration or devotion; adj. idolatrous
awe
solemn wonder; feeling of respect mixed with wonder and fear; v. fill with awe; adj. awesome
saboteur
one who commits sabotage; destroyer of property; n. sabotage: destruction of property (usually carried out secretly)
pathetic
causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching
glaring
(of something bad) highly conspicuous; harshly bright; shining intensely and blindingly
ablution
washing
slew
large quantity or number; ex. slew of errands left
embroider
decorate with needlework; ornament (a story) with fancy or fictitious details; embellish
coincidence
the chance occurrence, at the same time, of two or more seemingly connected events; v. coincide: happen at the same time; be in agreement; ex: coincident; ex: coincidental
impassioned
(of speech) filled with passion; fervent
dominant
exercising the most influence; high and easily seen; stronger than the other part of a system; not recessive
abase
lower; degrade; humiliate; make humble; make (oneself) lose self-respect
shirk
avoid (responsibility, work, etc.); malinger
mammal
vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young
humane
marked by kindness or consideration; kind and compassionate; humanitarian
sensitization
process of being made sensitive or acutely responsive to an external agent or substance; v. sensitize: make or become sensitive
apprise
inform
immure
imprison; shut up in confinement; ex: wall
rampant
growing or spreading uncontrollably; growing in profusion; unrestrained; ex. rampant lawlessness/weed
foreboding
premonition of evil; feeling of coming evil; v. forebode: be a warning of (something unpleasant)
culmination
highest point; climax; v. culminate in: reach the highest point in; end in; ex. a series of minor clashes culminating in war
verve
enthusiasm (as in artistic performance or composition); liveliness; vigor
bantering
joking talk; good-naturedly ridiculing; n.v. banter
intimidate
frighten; n. intimidation
caption
title; chapter heading; text under illustration
infiltrate
pass into or through; penetrate or enter (an organization) sneakily; ex. infiltrate the troops into enemy territory; ex: infiltrator
pan
criticize harshly
nettle
irritate; annoy; vex; adj. nettlesome
frugality
thrift; economy; adj. frugal: practicing economy; costing little; inexpensive
haven
place of safety; refuge; harbor; ex. tax haven
shun
keep away from; avoid deliberately; ex. She has been shunned by her neighbors.
buttress
support; prop up; n. stationary structure to support wall; ex. flying buttress
slaughter
killing of animals for food; massacre; v. butcher (animals) for food; kill in large numbers
preamble
introductory statement
wont
(the stated person’s) habit or custom; habitual procedure; adj. wonted: customary
repose
resting; state of being at rest; calmness; v. lie at rest; relax; put or place; ex. repose our hopes in a single man
pendulous
hanging; suspended
disport
amuse; ex. disport oneself; ex: divert
apocalyptic
prophetic; pertaining to revelations especially of disaster; n. apocalypse
memento
token; reminder of the past; keepsake; ex. memento of your visit
bolt
door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric; large roll of cloth; v. dash or dart off; fasten (a door); gobble down
conclusive
decisive; ending all debate
enterprise
willingness to take new ventures; initiative; business organization; plan (that is difficult or daring); ex. their latest enterprise to sail round the world in a small boat
auspicious
favoring success; giving signs of future success; Cf. auspices
abrasive
rubbing away; tending to grind down
nebula
diffuse mass of interstellar dust or gas; galaxy
symmetry
arrangement of parts so that balance is obtained; congruity; adj. symmetrical
withdrawn
introverted; retiring; remote
deviate
turn away from (a principle, norm); move away from an accepted standard; swerve; depart; diverge; n. deviation; ex. deviation of the path of light by a prism
unassailable
not open to attack; impregnable; not subject to question
voyeur
Peeping Tom; person who derives sexual gratification from observing the sexual acts of others
retinue
following; attendants
venison
meat of a deer; ex: cow: beef; ex: pig: pork, ham, bacon; ex: calf: veal; ex: sheep: mutton; ex: lamb: lamb
pell-mell
in confusion; disorderly; ex. dash pell-mell
gorge
narrow canyon; steep rocky cleft; ravine (made by a stream which runs through it)
primp
groom oneself with care; adorn oneself
affliction
state of distress; trial; cause of distress or suffering; v. afflict: inflict grievous suffering on
render
give; deliver; provide; represent in verbal or artistic form; depict; perform; make; translate; ex. render the song beautifully
incantation
singing or chanting of magic spells; magical formula; (the saying of) words used in magic; ex: enchant
verisimilar
having the appearance of truth or reality; probable or likely to be true; plausible
impious
irreverent
lexicographer
compiler of a dictionary; ex: lexicography: work of compiling a dictionary
profane
violate; desecrate (something holy); treat unworthily; be profane for; adj. secular; nonreligious; irreverent for holy things
addiction
compulsive habitual need
hoax
trick which makes someone take action; practical joke; ex. hoax mail; v.
ventilate
admit fresh air into to replace stale air
ghastly
horrible; terrifying; resembling ghosts; ex: aghast
tenet
doctrine; dogma
retrospective
looking back on the past; n. retrospection; v. retrospect
archetype
prototype; primitive pattern
duress
forcible restraint, especially unlawfully; coercion by threat; illegal coercion; ex. a promise made under duress
intransigence
refusal of any compromise; stubbornness; adj. intransigent: uncompromising
fetter
shackle; restrict the freedom of; n. chain or shackle for the foot of a prisoner; ex: foot
complicity
participation; involvement (in a questionable act or a crime)
megalomania
mania for doing grandiose things; mental disorder characterized by delusions of wealth, power, or importance
cant
insincere speech or expression of piety; jargon of thieves; special words used by a particular group of people
incorporeal
without a material body; insubstantial
metrical
metric; written in the form of poetry; ex. metrical translation of Homer
preponderance
superiority of power, quantity, etc.; v. preponderate: be greater in power, weight, or importance; adj. preponderant
log
record of a voyage or flight; record of day-to-day activities; section of a trunk; v.
killjoy
grouch; spoilsport; one who intentionally spoils the pleasure of others
multiform
having many forms
acquittal
deliverance from a charge; v. acquit: free from a charge or accusation; discharge from a duty; conduct (oneself) in a specified manner
semblance
outward appearance; guise; ex. We called in the troops to bring a/some semblance of order to the city.
enormity
hugeness (in a bad sense); excessive wickedness; ex. enormity of the crime; adj. enormous
arbitrary
unreasonable or capricious; random; tyrannical; ex. arbitrary ruler
maul
handle roughly; batter; injure by beating; ex. mauled by his overexcited fans; n. heavy long-handled hammer
rarefied
made less dense (of a gas); v. rarefy: make less dense; n. rarefaction
translucent
partly transparent
charlatan
quack; pretender to knowledge (esp. in medicine)
context
writings preceding and following the passage quoted; circumstance in which an event occurs
uncouth
boorish; clumsy in speech or behavior; outlandish
dilettante
aimless follower of an art or a field of knowledge (not taking it seriously); amateur; dabbler; ex: delight
tend
have a tendency; take care of; minister; serve at; apply one’s attention; attend
loiter
hang about/around; stand idly about; linger
straggle
stray or fall behind (a main group); spread out in a scattered group; ex. straggling marathon racer; ex. straggling branch
sound
in good condition; showing good judgment or good sense; thorough; complete; ex. sound mind/investment/training
interpolate
insert between
debutante
young woman making formal entrance into society
syllogism
logical formula consisting of a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion; deceptive or specious argument
debar
bar; forbid; exclude; ex. debarred from jury services
overwrought
nervous or excited; extremely agitated; hysterical; wrought-up; ex: wrought: made or done
amenities
convenient features that helps to make life pleasant; social courtesies
chary
cautious; unwilling to take risks; sparing or restrained about giving; OP. bold
prevaricate
lie; hide the truth (by equivocating)
unrequited
not requited; not reciprocated; ex. unrequited love
stymie
thwart; present an obstacle; stump
tenacious
holding fast (as to a belief); persistent
