The Stormlight Archive Flashcards
Penchant
noun
a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something.
“he has a penchant for adopting stray dogs”
Deprivation
noun
1. the damaging lack of material benefits considered to be basic necessities in a society.
“low wages mean that 3.75 million people suffer serious deprivation”
2. the lack or denial of something considered to be a necessity.
“sleep deprivation”
ARCHAIC
3. the action of depriving someone of office, especially an ecclesiastical office.
Discerning
adjective
having or showing good judgement.
“the brasserie attracts discerning customers”
Pandemonium
noun
wild and noisy disorder or confusion; uproar.
“there was complete pandemonium—everyone just panicked”
Jerkin
noun
1. a sleeveless jacket.
HISTORICAL
2. a man’s close-fitting jacket, typically made of leather.
Supernal
adjective
1. being in or belonging to the heaven of divine beings; heavenly, celestial, or divine.
2. lofty; of more than earthly or human excellence, powers, etc.
3. being on high or in the sky or visible heavens.
Penumbra
noun
1. the partially shaded outer region of the shadow cast by an opaque object.
2. a peripheral or indeterminate area or group.
“an immense penumbra of theory surrounds any observation”
Intersperse
verb
1. scatter among or between other things; place here and there.
“deep pools interspersed by shallow shingle banks”
2. diversify (a thing or things) with other things at intervals.
“the debate was interspersed with angry exchanges”
Profane
adjective
1. not relating to that which is sacred or religious; secular.
“a talk that tackled topics both sacred and profane”
2. (of a person or their behaviour) not respectful of religious practice; irreverent.
“a profane person might be tempted to violate the tomb”
verb
treat (something sacred) with irreverence or disrespect.
“it was a serious matter to profane a tomb”
Tenacious
adjective
1. tending to keep a firm hold of something; clinging or adhering closely.
“a tenacious grip”
2. not readily relinquishing a position, principle, or course of action; determined.
“this tenacious defence of local liberties”
3. persisting in existence; not easily dispelled.
“a tenacious local legend”
Perilous
adjective
1. full of danger or risk.
“a perilous journey south”
2. exposed to imminent risk of disaster or ruin.
“the economy is in a perilous state”
Sidle
verb
walk in a furtive, unobtrusive, or timid manner, especially sideways or obliquely.
“I sidled up to her”
noun
an act or instance of sidling somewhere.
“a sidle into the hallway”
Appease
verb
1. pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands.
“amendments have been added to appease local pressure groups”
2. assuage or satisfy (a demand or a feeling).
“we give to charity because it appeases our guilt”
Clangorous
adjective
characterized by or making a continuous loud banging or ringing sound.
“harsh, clangorous percussion”
Tonality
noun
1. the character of a piece of music as determined by the key in which it is played or the relations between the notes of a scale or key.
“the sonata is noteworthy for its extensive variations of mood and tonality”
2. the colour scheme or range of tones used in a picture.
“the five canvases are predominantly blue in tonality”
Clipped
adjective
(of speech) having short, sharp vowel sounds and clear pronunciation.
“his cold clipped tones”
Pointedly
adverb
in a direct and unambiguous way, often indicating criticism or displeasure.
“he pointedly refused to shake hands”
Daub
verb
carelessly coat or smear (a surface) with a thick or sticky substance.
“the walls were daubed with splashes of paint”
noun
1. a patch or smear of a thick or sticky substance.
“a daub of paint”
2. plaster, clay, or another substance used for coating a surface, especially when mixed with straw and applied to laths or wattles to form a wall.
“wattle and daub”
Buffet
verb
1. (especially of wind or waves) strike repeatedly and violently; batter.
“rough seas buffeted the coast”
2. knock (someone) off course.
“he was buffeted from side to side”
3. (of difficulties) afflict (someone) over a long period.
“they were buffeted by a major recession”
noun
DATED
1. a blow or punch.
2. a shock or misfortune.
“the daily buffets of urban civilization”
AERONAUTICS
3. another term for buffeting.
“fifteen degrees of flap induce marked buffet”
Laggard
noun
a person who makes slow progress and falls behind others.
“staff were under enormous pressure and there was no time for laggards”
adjective
slower than desired or expected.
“a bell to summon laggard children to school”
Swindle
verb
use deception to deprive (someone) of money or possessions.
“a businessman swindled investors out of millions of pounds”
noun
a fraudulent scheme or action.
“he is mixed up in a £10 million insurance swindle”
Poignant
adjective
1. painfully affecting the feelings; piercing.
2. deeply affecting; touching.
3. designed to make an impression; cutting.
“poignant satire”
4. pleasurably stimulating.
5. being to the point; apt.
6. pungently pervasive.
“a poignant perfume”
Affluent
adjective
1. (especially of a group or area) having a great deal of money; wealthy.
“the affluent societies of the western world”
ARCHAIC
2. (of water) flowing freely or in great quantity.
noun ARCHAIC
a tributary stream.
Demure
adjective
1. reserved, modest, and shy (typically used of a woman).
“a demure young lady”
2. (of clothing) giving a modest appearance.
“a demure knee-length skirt”
Reveller/reveler
noun
a person who is enjoying themselves in a lively and noisy way.
“drunken revellers brawled in the town centre in the early hours”
Hark back
phrasal verb of hark
1. mention or remember something from the past.
“if it was such a rotten holiday, why hark back to it?”
**2. evoke an older style or genre.*
“the paintings hark back to Constable and Turner”
Preliminary
adjective
preceding or done in preparation for something fuller or more important.
“a preliminary draft”
noun
a preliminary action or event.
“the bombardment was resumed as a preliminary to an infantry attack”
Supplication
noun
the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly.
“he fell to his knees in supplication”
Cloistered
adjective
1. enclosed by or having a cloister.
“a cloistered walkway”
2. kept away from the outside world; sheltered.
“a cloistered upbringing”
Perpetually
adverb
in a way that never ends or changes; constantly.
“perpetually hungry teenage boys”
Conspicuous
adjective
1. clearly visible.
“he was very thin, with a conspicuous Adam’s apple”
2. attracting notice or attention.
“he showed conspicuous bravery”
Implicate
verb
1. show (someone) to be involved in a crime.
“he was implicated in a price-fixing scandal”
2. convey (a meaning) indirectly through what one says, rather than stating it explicitly.
“by saying that coffee would keep her awake, Mary implicated that she didn’t want any”
noun LOGIC
a thing implied.
Reconciliation
noun
1. the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after an argument or disagreement.
2. the process of finding a way to make two different ideas, facts, etc., exist or be true at the same time.
Unshod
adjective
not wearing shoes.
“her unshod feet”
Exceedingly
adverb
1. extremely.
“the team played exceedingly well”
ARCHAIC
2. to a great extent.
“the supply multiplied exceedingly”
Pique
noun
a feeling of irritation or resentment resulting from a slight, especially to one’s pride.
“he left in a fit of pique”
verb
1. arouse (interest or curiosity).
“with his scientific curiosity piqued, he was looking forward to being able to analyse his find”
2. feel irritated or resentful.
Treatise
noun
a written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject.
“his treatise on Scottish political theory”
Purveyor
noun
1. a person who sells or deals in particular goods.
“a purveyor of large luxury vehicles”
2. a person or group who spreads or promotes an idea, view, etc.
“a purveyor of traditional Christian values”
Tardiness
noun
the quality or fact of being late; lateness.
“forgive my tardiness, I had some very important business to attend to”
Spinster
noun DEROGATORY•DATED
an unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage.
Rescind
verb
1. to take away; remove.
2. take back; cancel.
“refused to rescind the order”
3. to abrogate (a contract) and restore the parties to the positions they would have occupied had there been no contract.
4. to make void by action of the enacting authority or a superior authority; repea.
Pejorative
adjective
expressing contempt or disapproval.
“permissiveness is used almost universally as a pejorative term”
noun
a word expressing contempt or disapproval.
“most of what he said was inflammatory and filled with pejoratives”
Latent
adjective
1. (of a quality or state) existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed.
“they have a huge reserve of latent talent”
BIOLOGY
2. lying dormant or hidden until circumstances are suitable for development or manifestation.
“axillary buds or eyes in the leaf axils are latent growth buds”
3. (of a disease) not yet manifesting the usual symptoms.
“diabetes may be latent for some years before diagnosis”
Pontificate
verb
1. express one’s opinions in a pompous and dogmatic way.
“he was pontificating about art and history”
2. (in the Roman Catholic Church) officiate as bishop, especially at Mass.
“he pontificated at three Christmas Masses”
noun
(in the Roman Catholic Church) the office or period of office of a pope or bishop.
“Pope Gregory VIII enjoyed only a ten-week pontificate”
Dislocation
noun
1. disturbance from a proper, original, or usual place or state.
“rapid urban and industrial development brought immense social dislocation in its wake”
2. injury or disability caused when the normal position of a joint or other part of the body is disturbed.
“congenital dislocation of the hip”
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
3. a displacement of part of a crystal lattice structure.
“dislocations are present due to the accidents of imperfect growth”
Heedless
adjective
showing a reckless lack of care or attention.
“‘Elaine!’ she shouted, heedless of attracting unwanted attention”
Suture
noun
1. a stitch or row of stitches holding together the edges of a wound or surgical incision.
“sutures are removed on the 5th to 7th day after the operation”
2. an immovable junction between two bones, such as those of the skull.
verb
stitch up (a wound or incision) with a suture.
“the small incision was sutured”
Insubordinate
adjective
defiant of authority; disobedient to orders.
“an insubordinate attitude”
Bleary
adjective
(of the eyes) looking or feeling dull and unfocused from sleep or tiredness.
“Boris opened a bleary eye”
Bleat
verb
(of a sheep, goat, or calf) make a characteristic weak, wavering cry.
“the lamb was bleating weakly”
noun
the weak, wavering cry made by a sheep, goat, or calf.
“the distant bleat of sheep”
Paunch
noun
1. a large or protruding belly.
“his body was powerful and square, with the beginnings of a paunch”
ARCHAIC•NAUTICAL
2. a thick strong mat used to give protection from chafing on a mast or spar.
verb
*disembowel (an animal).**
“one of the things I had to do was to paunch and skin a hare”
Tenet
noun
a principle or belief, especially one of the main principles of a religion or philosophy.
“the tenets of a democratic society”
Impede
verb
delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them; hinder.
“the sap causes swelling which can impede breathing”
Subdued
adjective
1. (of a person or their manner) quiet and rather reflective or depressed.
“I felt strangely subdued as I drove home”
2. (of colour or lighting) soft and restrained.
“a subdued glow came through the curtains”
Err
verb FORMAL
1. be mistaken or incorrect; make a mistake.
“the judge had erred in ruling that the evidence was inadmissible”
2. fail to adhere to the proper or accepted standards; do wrong.
“he has erred and strayed as many of us have”
Ungainly
adjective
(of a person or movement) awkward; clumsy.
“an ungainly walk”
Tantalizing
adjective
1. tormenting or teasing with the sight or promise of something unobtainable.
“a tantalizing glimpse of the career he might have had”
2. exciting one’s senses or desires.
“the tantalizing fragrance of fried bacon”
Supposition
noun
a belief held without proof or certain knowledge; an assumption or hypothesis.
“they were working on the supposition that his death was murder”
Reprobate
noun
1. an unprincipled person.
“he had to present himself as more of a lovable reprobate than a spirit of corruption”
ARCHAIC
2. (in Calvinism) a sinner who is not of the elect and is predestined to damnation.
adjective
1. unprincipled.
“reprobate behaviour”
ARCHAIC
2. (in Calvinism) predestined to damnation.
verb ARCHAIC
express or feel disapproval of.
“his neighbours reprobated his method of proceeding”
Admonition
noun
a firm warning or reprimand.
“he received numerous admonitions for his behaviour”
Foible
noun
1. a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone’s character.
“they have to tolerate each other’s little foibles”
FENCING
2. the part of a sword blade from the middle to the point.
Corroborate
verb
confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).
“the witness had corroborated the boy’s account of the attack”
Pervasive
adjective
spread throughout so thoroughly as to be seen or felt everywhere.
“the pervasive influence of television”
Relinquish
verb
1. to withdraw or retreat from; leave behind.
2. give up.
“relinquish a title”
3. to stop holding physically; release.
“slowly relinquished his grip on the bar”
4. to give over possession or control of; yield.
“few leaders willingly relinquish power”
Lustrous
adjective
having lustre; shining.
“large, lustrous eyes”
Addled
adjective
1. unable to think clearly; confused.
“this might just be my addled brain playing tricks”
2. (of an egg) rotten.
Tributary
noun
1. a river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake.
“the Illinois River, a tributary of the Mississippi”
HISTORICAL
2. a person or state that pays tribute to another state or ruler.
“tributaries of the Ottoman Empire”
Accrued
adjective
1. (of a benefit or sum of money) received or accumulated in regular or increasing amounts over time.
“the accrued interest”
2. (of a charge or cost relating to work done but not yet invoiced) made provision for at the end of a financial period.
“accrued expenses”
Vapid
adjective
offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging; bland.
“tuneful but vapid musical comedies”
Rear
verb
1. bring up and care for (a child) until they are fully grown.
“Nigel was born and reared in Bath”
2. (of a horse or other animal) raise itself upright on its hind legs.
“the horse reared in terror”
Terse
adjective
sparing in the use of words; abrupt.
“a terse statement”
Presume
verb
1. suppose that something is the case on the basis of probability.
“I presumed that the man had been escorted from the building”
2. be arrogant or impertinent enough to do something.
“kindly don’t presume to issue me orders in my own house”
Derision
noun
contemptuous ridicule or mockery.
“my stories were greeted with derision and disbelief”
Caliginous
adjective
dark and misty and gloomy.
Scruple
noun
1. a feeling of doubt or hesitation with regard to the morality or propriety of a course of action.
“I had no scruples about eavesdropping”
HISTORICAL
2. a unit of weight equal to 20 grains, used by apothecaries.
“give, daily, one scruple of sulphate of quinine”
verb
hesitate or be reluctant to do something that one thinks may be wrong.
“she doesn’t scruple to ask her parents for money”
Sanctimonious
adjective DEROGATORY
making a show of being morally superior to other people.
“what happened to all the sanctimonious talk about putting his family first?”
Dote
verb
1. be extremely and uncritically fond of.
“she doted on her two young children”
ARCHAIC
2. be silly or feeble-minded, especially as a result of old age.
“the parson is now old and dotes”
noun INFORMAL•IRISH
a sweet or adorable person.
“he’s gorgeous and the twins are dotes”
Subordinate
adjective
lower in rank or position.
“his subordinate officers”
noun
a person under the authority or control of another within an organization.
“he was mild-mannered, especially with his subordinates”
verb
treat or regard as of lesser importance than something else.
“practical considerations were subordinated to political expediency”
Equitable
adjective
1. fair and impartial.
“the equitable distribution of resources”
LAW
2. valid in equity as distinct from law.
“the difference between legal and equitable rights”
Requisite
adjective
made necessary by particular circumstances or regulations.
“the application will not be processed until the requisite fee is paid”
noun
a thing that is necessary for the achievement of a specified end.
“she believed privacy to be a requisite for a peaceful life”
Affront
verb
offend the modesty or values of.
“she was affronted by his familiarity”
Dowel
noun
a projecting peg used for holding together components of a structure.
verb
fasten with a dowel or dowels.
“the pivot bearings are doweled into the face of the limb butts”
Dismay
noun
concern and distress caused by something unexpected.
“to his dismay, she left him”
verb
cause (someone) to feel concern and distress.
“they were dismayed by the U-turn in policy”
Frond
noun
1. a large leaf (especially of a palm or fern) usually with many divisions.
2. a thallus or thalloid shoot (as of a lichen or seaweed) resembling a leaf.
Opulent
adjective
1. ostentatiously costly and luxurious.
“the opulent comfort of a limousine”
2. wealthy.
“his more opulent tenants”
Vehement
adjective
showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense.
“her voice was low but vehement”
Incongruous
adjective
not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something.
“the duffel coat looked incongruous with the black dress she wore underneath”
Putrid
adjective
1. (of organic matter) decaying or rotting and emitting a fetid smell.
“a butcher who sold putrid meat”
INFORMAL
2. very unpleasant; repulsive.
“the cocktail is a putrid pink colour”
Hale
adjective
(of an old person) strong and healthy.
“he’s only just sixty, very hale and hearty”
Infatuation
noun
1. a feeling of foolish or obsessively strong love for, admiration for, or interest in someone or something; strong and unreasoning attachment.
2. the object of an unreasoning or foolish attachment.
Encroachment
noun
1. intrusion on a person’s territory, rights, etc.
“minor encroachments on our individual liberties”
2. a gradual advance beyond usual or acceptable limits.
“urban encroachment of habitat”
Feeble
adjective
1. lacking physical strength, especially as a result of age or illness.
“by now, he was too feeble to leave his room”
2. (of a sound) faint.
“her feeble cries of pain”
3. lacking strength of character.
“I know it’s feeble but I’ve never been one to stand up for myself”
Peforated
*adjective
1. pierced with a hole or holes.
“the walls are clad in perforated leather panels”
2. (of paper) having one or more rows of small holes so that a part may be torn off easily.
“this notebook comes with perforated pages”
Falter
verb
1. lose strength or momentum.
“the music faltered, stopped, and started up again”
2. speak hesitantly.
“‘A-Adam?’ he faltered”
3. move unsteadily or hesitantly.
“he faltered and finally stopped in mid-stride”
Abrade
verb
scrape or wear away by friction or erosion.
“it was a landscape slowly abraded by a fine, stinging dust”
Rote
noun
mechanical or habitual repetition of something to be learned.
“a poem learnt by rote in childhood”
Palpate
verb
to examine by touch especially medically
Tumult
noun
1. a loud, confused noise, especially one caused by a large mass of people.
“a tumult of shouting and screaming broke out”
2. a state of confusion or disorder.
“the whole neighbourhood was in a state of fear and tumult”
Absolve
verb
1. declare (someone) free from guilt, obligation, or punishment.
“the pardon absolved them of any crimes”
2. (in church use) give absolution for (a sin).
“she asked the bishop to absolve her sins”
Brusque
adjective
abrupt or offhand in speech or manner.
“she could be brusque and impatient”
Intently
adverb
with earnest and eager attention.
“he gazed at her intently”
Grueling/gruelling
adjective
extremely tiring and demanding.
“a gruelling schedule”
Nonchalant
adjective
having an air of easy unconcern or indifference.
Folio
noun
1. an individual leaf of paper or parchment, either loose as one of a series or forming part of a bound volume, which is numbered on the recto or front side only.
2. a sheet of paper folded once to form two leaves (four pages) of a book.
Abbreviate
verb
1. shorten (a word, phrase, or text).
“‘network’ is often abbreviated to ‘net’”
2. shorten the duration of; cut short.
“I decided to abbreviate my stay in Cambridge”
Capitulate
verb
cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; yield.
“the patriots had to capitulate to the enemy forces”
Temerity
noun
excessive confidence or boldness; audacity.
“no one had the temerity to question his conclusions”
Dowry
noun
an amount of property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage.
“Elizabeth’s dowry was to be £45,000 in diamonds”
Coif
noun
1. a woman’s close-fitting cap, now only worn under a veil by nuns.
“her black habit and white starched coif”
INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
2. short for coiffure.
verb
style or arrange (someone’s hair).
“Gloria’s hair was coiffed in its usual way”
Vestigial
adjective
1. forming a very small remnant of something that was once greater or more noticeable.
“he felt a vestigial flicker of anger from last night”
BIOLOGY
2. (of an organ or part of the body) degenerate, rudimentary, or atrophied, having become functionless in the course of evolution.
“the vestigial wings of kiwis are entirely hidden”
Lavish
adjective
sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious.
“a lavish banquet”
verb
bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities on.
“the media couldn’t lavish enough praise on the film”
Inquest
noun
LAW
1. a judicial inquiry to ascertain the facts relating to an incident.
INFORMAL
2. a discussion or investigation into something that has happened, especially something undesirable.
“an inquest by New York newspapers into a subway fire”
Relish
noun
1. great enjoyment.
“she swigged a mouthful of wine with relish”
2. a piquant sauce or pickle eaten with plain food to add flavour.
“use salsa as a relish with grilled meat or fish”
verb
1. enjoy greatly.
“he was relishing his moment of glory”
ARCHAIC
2. make pleasant to the taste; add relish to.
“I have also a novel to relish my wine”
Concierge
noun
1. (especially in France) a resident caretaker of a block of flats or a small hotel.
2. a hotel employee whose job is to assist guests by booking tours, making theatre and restaurant reservations, etc.
Subsist
verb
1. maintain or support oneself, especially at a minimal level.
“he subsisted on welfare and casual labour”
LAW
2. remain in force or effect.
“the court may treat a contract as still subsisting”
Totter
verb
1. move in a feeble or unsteady way.
“a hunched figure was tottering down the path”
2. (of a structure) shake or sway as if about to collapse.
“the building began to totter and then the roof gave way”
noun
a feeble or unsteady gait.
Strop
noun
a device, typically a strip of leather, for sharpening razors.
verb
sharpen on or with a strop.
“he stropped a knife razor-sharp on his belt”
Disdain
noun
the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one’s consideration or respect.
“her upper lip curled in disdain”
verb
consider to be unworthy of one’s consideration.
“he disdained his patients as an inferior rabble”
Reprehensible
adjective
deserving censure or condemnation.
“his complacency and reprehensible laxity”
Exonerate
verb
1. (of an official body) absolve (someone) from blame for a fault or wrongdoing.
“an inquiry exonerated those involved”
2. release someone from (a duty or obligation).
“Pope Clement V exonerated the king from his oath to the barons”
Undulating
adjective
having a smoothly rising and falling form or outline.
“the undulating country lanes of Northern Ireland”
Avowed
adjective
that has been asserted, admitted, or stated publicly.
“an avowed atheist”
Embellishment
noun
1. a decorative detail or feature added to something to make it more attractive.
“architectural embellishments”
2. a detail, especially one that is untrue, added to a statement or story to make it more interesting.
“stripped of her embellishments, the core of hard fact was disappointingly small”
3. the action of adding decorative details.
“the embellishment of church interiors through the use of the visual arts”
Gorge
noun
1. a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it.
ARCHAIC
2. the throat.
verb
eat a large amount greedily; fill oneself with food.
“they gorged themselves on Cornish cream teas”
Aggravation
noun
1. the state of becoming worse or more serious; exacerbation.
“the patient experienced an aggravation of symptoms”
INFORMAL
2. annoyance or exasperation.
“the whole business has caused me a lot of aggravation”
Futility
noun
1. the quality of being futile; ineffectiveness; uselessness.
2. a trifle or frivolity.
“the large collection of futilities that clutter our minds”
3. a futile act or event
