T Flashcards
tacit
understood; not put into words (Eg: We have a tacit agreement based on only a handshake. )
taciturn
habitually silent; talking a little (Eg: New Englanders are reputedly taciturn people. )
tactile
pertaining to the organs or sense of touch (Eg: His callused hands had lost their tactile sensitivity. )
tainted
contaminated; corrupt (Eg: )
talisman
charm (Eg: She wore the talisman to ward off evil. )
talon
claw of bird (Eg: The falconer wore a leather gauntlet to avoid being clawed by the hawk’s talons. )
tangential
peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing (Eg: Despite Clark’s attempts to distract her with tangential remarks- Lois kept on coming back to her main )
tangible
able to be touched; real; palpable (Eg: Although Tom did not own a house- he had several tangible assets–a car- a television- a PC–that he could )
tanner
person who turns animal hides into leather (Eg: Using a solution of tanbark- the tanner treated the cowhide- transforming it into supple leather. )
tantalize
tease; torture with disappointment (Eg: Tom loved to tantalize his younger brother with candy; he knew the boy was forbidden to have it. )
tantamount
equal (Eg: Your ignoring their pathetic condition is tantamount to the murder. )
tantrum
fit of petulance; caprice (Eg: The child learned that he could have almost anything if he went into tantrums. )
taper
candle (Eg: He lit the taper on the windowsill. )
tarantula
venomous spider (Eg: We need an antitoxin to counteract the bite of the tarantula. )
tarry
delay; dawdle (Eg: We can’t tarry if we want to get to the airport on time. )
taut
tight; ready (Eg: The captain maintained that he ran a taut ship. )
tautological
needlessly repetitious (Eg: In the sentence ‘‘It was visible to the eye-‘’ the phrase ‘‘to the eye’’ is tautological. )
tawdry
cheap and gaudy (Eg: He won a few tawdry trinkets in Coney Island. )
taxonomist
specialist in classifying (animals- etc.) (Eg: Dental patterns often enable the taxonomist to distinguish members of one rodent species from those of )
tedium
boredom; weariness (Eg: We hope this radio will help overcome the tedium of your stay in the hospital. )
temerity
boldness; rashness (Eg: Do you have the temerity to argue with me? )
temper
moderate; tone down or restrain; toughen (steel) (Eg: Not even her supervisor’s grumpiness could temper Nancy’s enthusiasm for her new job. )
temperament
characteristic frame of mind; disposition; emotional excess (Eg: Although the twins look alike- they differ markedly in temperament: Tod is calm- but Rod is excitable. )
temperate
restrained; self-controlled (Eg: Noted for his temperate appetite- he seldom gained weight. )
tempo
speed of music (Eg: I find the conductor’s tempo too slow for such a brilliant piece of music. )
temporal
not lasting forever; limited by time; secular (Eg: At one time in our history- temporal rulers assumed that they had been given their thrones by divine right. )
temporize
avoid committing oneself; gain time (Eg: I cannot permit you to temporize any longer; I must have a definite answer today. )
tenacious
holding fast (Eg: I had to struggle to break his tenacious hold on my arm. )
tenacity
firmness; persistency; adhesiveness (Eg: It is extremely difficult to overcome the tenacity of a habit such as smoking. )
tendentious
having an aim; biased; designed to further a cause (Eg: The editorials in this periodical are tendentious rather than truth-seeking. )
tender
offer; extend (Eg: Although no formal changes had been made against him- in the wake of the recent scandal the mayor felt )
tenet
doctrine; dogma (Eg: The agnostic did not accept the tenets of their faith. )
tensile
capable of being stretched (Eg: Mountain climbers must know the tensile strength of their ropes. )
tentative
provisional; experimental (Eg: Your tentative plans sound plausible; let me know when the final details are worked out. )
tenuous
thin; rare; slim (Eg: The allegiance of our allies is held by rather tenuous ties; let us hope they will remain loyal. )
tenure
holding of an office; time during which such an office is held (Eg: He was permanent tenure in this position and cannot be fired. )
tepid
lukewarm (Eg: During the summer- I like to take a tepid bath- not a hot one. )
terminate
to bring to an end (Eg: When his contract was terminated unexpectedly- he desperately needed a new job. )
terminology
terms used in a science or art (Eg: The special terminology developed by some authorities in the field has done more to confuse laypersons )
terminus
last stop of railroad (Eg: After we reached the railroad terminus- we continued our journey into the wilderness on saddle horses. )
terrestrial
on or relating to the earth (Eg: We have been able to explore the terrestrial regions much more thoroughly than the aquatic or celestial )
terse
concise; abrupt; pithy (Eg: I admire his terse style of writing; he comes directly to the point. )
tertiary
third (Eg: He is so thorough that he analyzes tertiary causes where other writers are content with primary and )
tesselated
inlaid; mosaic (Eg: I recall seeing a table with a tesselated top of bits of stone and glass in a very interesting pattern. )
testator
maker of a will (Eg: The attorney called in his secretary and his partner to witness the signature of the testator. )
testy
irritable; short-tempered (Eg: My advice is to avoid discussing this problem with him today as he is rather testy and may shout at you. )
tether
tie with a rope (Eg: Before we went to sleep- we tethered the horses to prevent their wandering off during the night. )
thematic
relating to a unifying motif or idea (Eg: Those who think of Moby Dick as a simple adventure story about whaling miss is underlying thematic )
theocracy
government of a community by religious leaders (Eg: Some Pilgrims favored the establishment of a theocracy in New England. )
theoretical
not practical or applied; hypothetical (Eg: Bob was better at applied engineering and computer programming than he was at theoretical physics and )
therapeutic
curative (Eg: Now better known for its racetrack- Saratoga Springs first gained attention for the therapeutic qualities of )
thermal
pertaining to heat (Eg: The natives discovered that the host springs gave excellent thermal baths and began to develop their )
thespian
pertaining to drama (Eg: Her success in the school play convinced her she was destined for a thespian career. )
thrall
slave; bondage (Eg: The captured soldier was held in thrall by the conquering army. )
thrifty
careful about money; economical (Eg: A thrifty shopper compares prices before making major purchases. )
thrive
prosper; flourish (Eg: Despite the impact of recession on the restaurant trade- Philip’s cafe thrived. )
throes
violent anguish (Eg: The throes of despair can be as devastating as the spasms accompanying physical pain. )
throng
crowd (Eg: Throngs of shoppers jammed the aisles. )
throttle
strangle (Eg: The criminal tried to throttle the old man with his bare hands. )
thwart
baffle; frustrate (Eg: He felt that everyone was trying to thwart his plans and prevent his success. )
tightwad
excessively frugal person; miser (Eg: Jill called Jack a tightwad because he never picked up the check. )
tilter
handle used to move the boat’s rudder (to steer) (Eg: Fearing the wind might shift suddenly and capsize the skiff- Tom kept one hand on the tilter at all times. )
timbre
quality of a musical tone produced by a musical instrument (Eg: We identify the instrument producing a musical sound by its timbre. )
timidity
lack of self-confidence or courage (Eg: If you are to succeed as a salesperson- you must first lose your timidity and fear of failure. )
timorous
fearful; demonstrating fear (Eg: His timorous manner betrayed the fear he felt at the moment. )
tipple
drink (alcoholic beverages) frequently (Eg: He found that his most enjoyable evenings occurred when he tippled with his friends at the local pub. )
tirade
extended scolding; denunciation (Eg: Long before he had finished his tirade- we were sufficiently aware of the seriousness of our misconduct. )
titanic
gigantic (Eg: titanic waves beat aginst the shore during the hurricane. )
tithe
tax of one-tenth (Eg: Because he was an agnostic- he refused to pay his tithes to the clergy. )
titillate
tickle (Eg: I am here not to titillate my audience but to enlighten it. )
title
right or claim to possession; mark of rank; name (of a book- film- etc.) (Eg: Though the penniless Duke of Ragwort no longer held title to the family estate- he still retained his title as )
titter
nervous laugh (Eg: Her aunt’s constant titter nearly drove her mad. )
titular
having the title of an office without the obligations (Eg: Although he was the titular head of the company- the real decisions were made by his general manager. )
toady
servile flatterer; yes man (Eg: Never tell the boss anything he doesn’t wish to hear: he doesn’t want an independent adviser- he just wants )
toga
Roman outer robe (Eg: Marc Antony pointed to the slashes in Caesar’s toga. )
tome
large volume (Eg: He spent much time in the libraries poring over ancient tomes. )
tonsure
shaving of the head- especially by person entering religious orders (Eg: His tonsure- even more than his monastic garb- indicated that he was a member of the religious order. )
topography
physical features of a region (Eg: Before the generals gave the order to attack- they ordered a complete study of the topography of the )
torpor
lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy (Eg: Nothing seemed to arouse him from his torpor; he had wholly surrendered himself to lethargy. )
torque
twisting force; force producing rotation (Eg: With her wrench she applied sufficient torque to the nut the loosen it. )
torrent
rushing stream; flood (Eg: Day after day of heavy rain saturated the hillside until the water ran downhill in torrents. )
torso
trunk of statue with head and limbs missing; human trunk (Eg: This torso- found in the ruins of Pompeii- is now on exhibition in the museum in Naples. )
tortuous
winding; full of curves (Eg: Because this road is so tortuous- it is unwise to go faster than twenty miles an hour on it. )
touchstone
stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion (Eg: What touchstone can be used to measure the character of a person? )
touchy
sensitive; irascible (Eg: Do not discuss this phase of the problem as he is very touchy about it. )
tout
publicize; praise excessively (Eg: I lost confidence in my broker after he touted some junk bonds that turned out to be a bad investment. )
toxic
poisonous (Eg: We must seek an antidote for whatever toxic substance he has eaten. )
tract
pamphlet; a region of indefinite size (Eg: The King granted William Penn a tract of land in the New World. )
tractable
docile (Eg: You will find the children in this school very tractable and willing to learn. )
traduce
expose to slander (Eg: His opponents tried to traduce the candidate’s reputation by spreading rumors about his past. )
trajectory
path taken by a projectile (Eg: The police tried to locate the spot from which the assassin had fired the fatal shot by tracing the trajectory )
tranquillity
calmness; peace (Eg: After the commotion and excitement of the city- I appreciate the tranquillity of these fields and forests. )
transcend
exceed; surpass (Eg: This accomplishment transcends all our previous efforts. )
transcribe
copy (Eg: When you transcribe your notes- please send a copy to Mr.Smith and keep the original for our files. )
transgression
violation of a law; sin (Eg: Forgive us our transgressions; we know not what we do. )
transient
momentary; temporary; staying for a short time (Eg: Lexy’s joy at finding the perfect Christmas gift for Phil was transient; she still had to find presents for the )
transition
going from one state of action to another (Eg: During the period of transition from oil heat to gas heat- the furnace will have to be shut off. )
transitoriness
impermanence (Eg: Conscious that all things pass- the psalmist relates the transitoriness of happiness and fame. )
translucent
partly transparent (Eg: We could not recognize the people in the next room because of the translucent curtains that separated us. )
transmute
change; convert to something different (Eg: He was unable to transmute his dreams into actualities. )
transparent
permitting to light to pass through freely; easily detected (Eg: Your scheme is so transparent that it will fool no one. )
transpire
be revealed; happen (Eg: When Austen writes the sentence ‘‘It had just transpired that he had left gaming debts behind him-‘’ her )
transport
strong emotion (Eg: Margo was a creature of extremes- at one moment in transports of joy over a vivid sunset- at another )
trappings
outward decorations; ornaments (Eg: He loved the trappings of success: the limousines- the stock options- the company jet. )
traumatic
pertaining to an injury caused by violence (Eg: In his nightmares- he kept on recalling the traumatic experience of being wounded in battle. )
travail
painful labor (Eg: How long do you think a man can endure such travail and degradation without rebelling? )
traverse
go through or across (Eg: When you traverse this field- be careful of the bull. )
travesty
comical parody; treatment aimed at making something appear ridiculous (Eg: The ridiculous decision the jury has arrived at is a travesty of justice. )
treatise
article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly (Eg: He is preparing a treatise on the Elizabethan playwrights for his graduate degree. )
trek
travel; journey (Eg: The tribe made their trek further north that summer in search of game. )
tremor
trembling; slight quiver (Eg: She had a nervous tremor in her right hand. )
tremulous
trembling; wavering (Eg: )
trenchant
cutting; keen (Eg: I am afraid of his trenchant wit for it is so often sarcastic. )
trepidation
fear; trembling agitation (Eg: We must face the enemy without trepidation if we are to win this battle. )
tribulation
distress; suffering (Eg: After all the trials and tribulations we have gone through- we need this rest. )
tribunal
court of justice (Eg: The decision of the tribunal was final and the prisoner was sentenced to death. )
tribute
tax levied by a ruler; mark of respect (Eg: The colonists refused to pay tribute to a foreign despot. )
trident
three-pronged spear (Eg: Neptune is usually depicted as rising from the sea- carrying his trident on his shoulder. )
trigger
set off (Eg: John is touchy today; say one word wrong and you’ll trigger an explosion. )
trilogy
group of three works (Eg: Romain Rolland’s novel Jean Christophe was first published as a trilogy. )
trinket
knickknack; bauble (Eg: Whenever she traveled abroad- Ethel would pick up costume jewelry and other trinkets as souvenirs. )
trite
hackneyed; commonplace (Eg: Thr trite and predictable situations in many television programs alienate many viewers. )
trivia
trifles; unimportant matters (Eg: Too many magazines ignore newsworthy subjects and feature trivia. )
troth
pledge of good faith especially in betrothal (Eg: He gave her his troth and vowed to cherish her always. )
trough
container for feeding farm animals; lowest point (of a wave- business cycle- etc.) (Eg: The hungry pigs struggled to get at the fresh swill in the trough. The surfer rode her board- coasting along )
truculence
agressiveness; ferocity (Eg: Tynan’s reviews were noted for their caustic attacks and general tone of truculence. )
truism
self-evident truth (Eg: Many a truism is well expressed in a proverb. )
truncate
cut the top off (Eg: )
tryst
meeting (Eg: The lovers kept their tryst even though they realized their danger. )
tumid
swollen; pompous; bombastic (Eg: I especially dislike his tumid style; I prefer writing which is less swollen and bombastic. )
tumult
commotion; riot; noise (Eg: She could not make herself heard over the tumult of the mob. )
tundra
rolling- treeless plain in Siberia and arctic North America (Eg: Despite the cold- many geologists are trying to discover valuable mineral deposits in the tundra. )
turbid
muddy; having the sediment disturbed (Eg: The water was turbid after the children had waded through it. )
turbulence
state of violent agitation (Eg: We were frightened by the turbulence of the ocean during the storm. )
tureen
deep dish for serving soup (Eg: The waiters brought the soup to the tables in silver tureens. )
turgid
swollen; distended (Eg: The turgid river threatened to overflow the levees and flood the contryside. )
turmoil
confusion; strife (Eg: Conscious he had sinned- he was in a state of spiritual turmoil. )
turncoat
traitor (Eg: The British considered Benedict Arnold a loyalist; the Americans considered him a turncoat. )
turpitude
depravity (Eg: A visitor may be denied admittance to this country if she has been guilty of moral turpitude. )
tutelage
guardianship; training (Eg: Under the tutelage of such masters of the instrument- she made rapid progress as a virtuoso. )
tutelary
protective; pertaining to a guardianship (Eg: I am acting in my tutelary capacity when I refuse to grant you permission to leave the campus. )
tycoon
wealthy leader (Eg: John D. Rockefeller was a prominent tycoon. )
tyranny
oppression; cruel government (Eg: Frederick Douglass fought against the tyranny of slavery throughout his entire life. )
tyro
beginner; novice (Eg: For a mere tyro- you have produced some marvelous results. )
timid
easily frightened; apprehensive (Eg: He was timid and cowardish; always backing up at daunting situations. )
tonic
invigorating medicine (Eg: The tonic water invigorated her- contrary to the enervating effect of the alcohol. )
toil
work laboriously; make slow painful progress (Eg: You must toil through 3500 words list in order to achieve a high score on GRE. )
