Unit 1 Flashcards
Bellwether
(noun)
the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends
Caterwaul
(verb)
to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel
(noun)
a harsh or noisy cry; a racket
Chimerical
(adjective)
absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible
effete
(adjective)
lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date
fait accompli
(noun)
an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action
Hidebound
(adjective)
narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative
Hierarchy
(noun)
any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order of rank, wealth, class, etc.
Liturgy
(noun)
a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship
Mirage
(noun)
something illusory, without substance or without a basis in reality; an illusion
Morass
(noun)
a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand
Noisome
(adjective)
offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious
Oblivious
(Adj)
Forgetful, unaware
Poltroon
(Noun)
A base coward
Proselyte
(Noun)
A convert, a disciple
Quasi
(adjective)
resembling but not actually being; seemingly but not actually or completely
Raillery
(noun)
good-humored ridicule; teasing
Ribald
(adjective)
irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language
Supine
(adjective)
lyng flat on one’s back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive
Vignette
(noun)
a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book
Adjunct
(noun)
something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant or helper; a valuable quality or characteristic
(adjective)
added or connected in a subordinate capacity; attached to a faculty or staff in an auxiliary capacity
