Set 9 Flashcards

Question 1

Q

clink

Question 2

Q

gantry

Question 3

Q

fallow

Question 4

Q

wobble

Question 5

Q

wizened

Question 6

Q

gruff

Question 7

Q

truculent

Answer

A

truculent

Question 8

Q

lather

Question 9

Q

nettle

Question 10

Q

ethereal

Question 11

Q

garish

Question 12

Q

thrall

Question 13

Q

anatomize

Answer

A

anatomize

Question 14

Q

slough off

Answer

A

slough off

Question 15

Q

paroxysm

Question 16

Q

raucous

Question 17

Q

thrash

Question 18

Q

mutter

Answer

A

mutter
/ˈmʌtə/

verb

1 to speak in a low or barely audible voice, especially in dissatisfaction or irritation
…He muttered something under his breath.
…She was muttering to herself while doing the dishes.

2 to complain or grumble about something in a low voice
…The students muttered about the unfair exam.
…People were muttering about the long wait in line.

noun

1 a low or indistinct speaking voice
…I could only hear mutters from the next room.
…There were angry mutters from the crowd.

2 the act of speaking in a low, unclear voice
…His response was just an angry mutter.
…The meeting ended with disappointed mutters.

> late Middle English: imitative; compare with German dialect muttern.
> Oxford Dictionary of English

Question 19

Q

craven

Question 20

Q

seep

Question 21

Q

cinder

Question 22

Q

vacuous

Question 23

Q

give a hoot

Answer

A

give a hoot

Question 24

Q

jump the shark

Answer

A

jump the shark

Question 25

Q

hock

Question 26

Q

siphon

Question 27

Q

ram

/ræm/

Answer

A

(v.) to strike or push with great force

The truck rammed into the wall after losing control on the icy road.

Question 28

Q

horticulture

Answer

A

horticulture

Question 29

Q

hasten

Question 30

Q

wanly

Question 31

Q

gullet

Question 32

Q

clog

Question 33

Q

furrow

Question 34

Q

shamble

Question 35

Q

snuggle

Question 36

Q

cessation

Answer

A

cessation

Question 37

Q

dollop

Question 38

Q

cower

Question 39

Q

lusty

Question 40

Q

portly

Question 41

Q

snout

Question 42

Q

ribbing

Question 43

Q

come hell or high water

Answer

A

come hell or high water

Question 44

Q

trudge

Question 45

Q

frisky

Question 46

Q

shaft

Question 47

Q

prick

Question 48

Q

jibe

Question 49

Q

perch

Question 50

Q

reproach

Question 51

Q

coast

Answer

A

coast
/koʊst/

noun

1 the land near or along a seashore
…They live on the west coast of Korea.
…The fishing villages dot the coast.

2 the border or area where land meets a large body of water
…Ships were visible along the coast.
…They patrolled the coast for smugglers.

verb

Coast also has a verb form that describes an effortless movement, like when you’re riding your bike down a hill and you don’t have to pedal at all. It can also be used figuratively to describe something that’s gained without much difficulty. You might coast to victory in the playoffs when your team wins 8-0 and is never threatened.

1 to move forward using momentum without additional power
…The bicycle coasted down the hill.
…The car coasted to a stop.

2 to proceed easily without special application of effort or concern

2a If a person or a team is coasting, they are doing something easily, especially winning a competition.
…Villa coasted to a win which earned them a third successive league victory. [VERB to noun]
…The company was coasting on the enormous success of its early products. [VERB]
[Also V adv]

2b If you say that someone is coasting, you are emphasizing that they are not putting enough effort into what they are doing.
[emphasis]
…Charles was coasting at school and I should have told him to work harder. [VERB]

> coast (v.2): French also used this word for “hillside, slope,” which led to the English verb meaning “a slide or sled down a snowy or icy hillside,” first attested 1775 in American English. The meaning “sled downhill,” first attested 1834 in American English, is a separate borrowing or a new development from the noun. In bicycle-riding, “descend a hill with the feet off the pedals,” from 1879. Of motor vehicles, “to move without thrust from the engine,” from 1896; figurative use, of persons, “not to exert oneself,” by 1934.
> Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Vocabulary.com, Etymonline

Question 52

Q

speckle

Question 53

Q

gangling

Question 54

Q

forbearance

Answer

A

forbearance

Question 55

Q

flicker

Question 56

Q

be duped into doing sth

Answer

A

be duped into doing sth

Question 57

Q

feeble

Question 58

Q

implacable

Answer

A

implacable

Question 59

Q

make inroads into sth

Answer

A

make inroads into sth

Question 60

Q

knead

Answer

A

knead
/niːd/

verb

1 to work (dough or other substance) by repeatedly pressing, folding, and stretching
…She kneaded the bread dough until it became elastic.
…The baker kneaded the mixture thoroughly before shaping it.

2 to massage with a pressing and squeezing motion
…The masseuse /mæˈsɜːz $ mæˈsuːz/ kneaded my sore muscles.
…The cat kneaded the blanket with its paws.

3 (figurative) to work something into a particular state or condition
…He kneaded his thoughts into a coherent plan.
…The sculptor kneaded the clay into shape.

> From Middle English kneden, from Old English cnedan, from Proto-West Germanic *knedan, from Proto-Germanic *knudaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gnet- (“to press together”).
> Wiktionary

Question 61

Q

aqueous

Question 62

Q

embryonic

Answer

A

embryonic

Question 63

Q

sodden

Question 64

Q

buttonhole

Answer

A

buttonhole

Answer 19

A

sententious

Answer 20

A

bee’s knees

Answer 21

A

in clover

Answer 22

A

blot sth out

Answer 23

A

trepidatious

Answer 24

A

netherworld

Answer 25

A

coy
/kɔɪ/

1 shy or pretending to be shy in order to attract people’s interest
…She gave him a coy smile.

2 unwilling to give information about something; intentionally keeping something secret

coy about
…Tania was always coy about her age.

coyly adverb
…She smiled coyly at Algie as he took her hand and raised it to his lips.

USAGE NOTES:
Coy implies a pretended shyness.
- put off by her coy manner

> early 14c., “quiet, modest, demure,” from Old French coi, earlier quei “quiet, still, placid, gentle,” ultimately from Latin quietus “free; calm, resting” (from PIE root kweie- “to rest, be quiet”). Meaning “shy, bashful” emerged late 14c. Meaning “unwilling to commit” is by 1961. Related: Coyly; coyness.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Answer 26

A

jingoistic

Answer 27

A

(adj.) unpleasantly damp, sticky, or cold to the touch

His hands felt clammy from nervousness before the big presentation.

Answer 28

A

cavernous

Answer 29

A

preliminary

Answer 30

A

inadvertently

Answer 31

A

chip away

Answer 32

A

cogitation

Answer 33

A

prophylactic

Answer 34

A

makeshift

Answer 35

A

twinge
/twɪndʒ/

noun

1 a sudden, sharp, brief pain or pang: PAIN, sharp pain, shooting pain, stab of pain, spasm, ache, throb; cramp, stitch
…She felt a twinge in her back as she lifted the box.
…He experienced occasional twinges in his knee during exercise.

2 a moral or emotional pang; A twinge is a sudden sharp feeling or emotion, usually an unpleasant one: PANG, prick, dart; qualm, scruple, misgiving
…He felt a twinge of guilt about lying to his friend.
…She experienced a twinge of regret about her decision.

verb

1 to feel or cause a sudden sharp pain
…His shoulder twinged when he reached for the top shelf.
…The old injury still twinges in cold weather.

2 to experience a sudden emotional pang
…His conscience twinged as he walked past the homeless person.
…Her heart twinged with jealousy at the sight of the happy couple.

> The verb is derived from Middle English twengen (“to nip, pinch, tweak; to tear at”),[1] from Old English twenġan (“to pinch, squeeze”),[2] from Proto-West Germanic *twangijan (“to pinch, squeeze”), from Proto-Germanic *twangijaną (“to pinch, squeeze”), the causative form of *twinganą (“to press, squeeze”)
> Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Answer 36

A

on the nose

Answer 37

A

rasp
/ræsp/

verb

1 to make a harsh grating sound
…The file rasped against the metal.
…His breath rasped in his throat.

2 to scrape or scratch with a rough surface
…She rasped the wood smooth with sandpaper.
…The chef rasped some chocolate over the dessert.

noun

1 a coarse file used for scraping and smoothing
…He used a rasp to shape the horse’s hoof.
…The carpenter reached for his wood rasp.

2 a harsh, grating sound
…There was a rasp in his voice from years of smoking.
…The rasp of machinery filled the factory.

> From Middle English raspen, from Old French rasper, from Frankish *hraspōn, from Proto-Germanic *hraspōną, related to Proto-Germanic *hrespaną (“to tear”). Compare Old High German raspōn (“to gather, rake”), Old English ġehrespan (“to tear”). The noun is from Middle French raspe.
> Wiktionary

Answer 38

A

reproachful

Answer 39

A

animosity

Answer 40

A

calloused

Answer 41

A

stupendous

Answer 42

A

bloodshot

Answer 43

A

onslaught

Answer 44

A

disheveled

Answer 45

A

effeminate

Answer 46

A

infinitesimal

Answer 47

A

cordon off

Answer 48

A

emaciated

Answer 49

A

tread/trod/trodden

Answer 50

A

belligerent

Answer 51

A

nothing short of

Answer 52

A

coagulate

Answer 53

A

embankment

Answer 54

A

spring sth on sb

Answer 55

A

string sth out

Answer 56

A

stick to the knitting

Answer 57

A

fluorescent

Answer 58

A

contrarian

Answer 59

A

obliterate

Answer 60

A

(adj.) deserving or arousing pity; heartbreaking or sorrowful

The abandoned puppy’s piteous whimpers tugged at the heartstrings of everyone who passed by.

Answer 61

A

(phr.) to gradually pass, especially in a tedious or tiresome manner; If time wears on, it passes very slowly, especially when you are waiting for something to happen

I was feeling more tired as the night wore on.
As the meeting wore on, the participants became increasingly restless and inattentive.

> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Answer 62

A

bunch

verb

1 [intransitive, transitive] to stay close together in a group, or to make people do this
…The children bunched together in small groups.
…John stopped, forcing the rest of the group to bunch up behind him.

2 [intransitive, transitive] to make part of your body tight, or to become tight like this
…Sean bunched his fists.

3 [intransitive, transitive] to pull material together tightly in folds
…She bunched the cloth up and threw it away.

4 [transitive] to hold or tie things together in a bunch

> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Answer 63

A

(adj.) thoroughly soaked; saturated

After the heavy rain, his clothes were sodden and clung uncomfortably to his skin.

Answer 64

A

(v.) to reduce in force, effect, or intensity; to weaken

The medicine helped attenuate the severity of his symptoms.
The thick walls helped to attenuate the noise from the busy street outside.

Answer 65

A

(phr.) to start doing something with enthusiasm and without hesitation

Without wasting any time, she decided to dive in and tackle the challenging project.

Answer 66

A

ascetic
/əˈsɛtɪk/

adjective

practicing strict self-discipline and abstaining from indulgence, often for religious or spiritual reasons: AUSTERE, self-denying, abstinent, abstemious, nonindulgent, self-disciplined, frugal, simple, rigorous, strict, severe, hair-shirt, spartan, monastic, monkish, monklike; celibate, continent, chaste, puritanical, self-abnegating, otherworldly, mortified
…The monk lived an ascetic life, rejecting all material comforts.
…She adopted an ascetic lifestyle, avoiding luxury and excess.

noun

a person who practices severe self-discipline and abstains from worldly pleasures: ABSTAINER, recluse, hermit, solitary, anchorite, anchoress, desert saint, celibate, puritan, nun, monk
…The ascetic meditated alone in the mountains.
…Throughout history, ascetics have sought spiritual enlightenment through simplicity.

> ascetic (adj.)
1640s, “practicing rigorous self-denial as a religious exercise,” from Latinized form of Greek asketikos “rigorously self-disciplined, laborious,” from asketēs “monk, hermit,” earlier “skilled worker, one who practices an art or trade,” especially “athlete, one in training for the arena,” from askein “to exercise, train,” especially “to train for athletic competition, practice gymnastics, exercise.” The Greek word was applied by the stoics to the controlling of the appetites and passions as the path to virtue and was picked up from them by the early Christians. The figurative sense of “unduly strict or austere” also is from 1640s. Related: Ascetical (1610s).
> Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline

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Set 9 Flashcards

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