Unit 11 Flashcards
bucolic
adj. characteristic of the countryside; rustic; pastoral
The south end of Toronto’s beautiful High Park is a bucolic expanse of land that is perfect for anyone wanting a quiet walk.
burgeon
v. to flourish
After World War II, the increased speed of industrialization and the burgeoning would population resulted in such an increase in pollution that it began to be recognized by some people as a threat to the human habitat, Earth.
burnish
v. to polish
The poet T.S. Eliot burnished his reputation as one of the master poets of the twentieth century with Four Quartets, four long poems published between 1936 and 1942.
buttress
v. to reinforce; support
Some critics of the American legal system argue that the requirement of proving guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt” is too difficult a criterion to use, and buttress their case by citing the fact that objective studies suggest that only a very small number of criminals are successfully prosecuted.
cacophonous
adj. unpleasant or harsh-sounding
The dissonant harmonies of the great jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk might seem cacophonous to some listeners, but to many jazz aficionados they are sublime.
cadge
v. to beg; sponge
An enduring image of the Great Depression in America is the out-of-work man cadging money with the line, “Hey, mister, can you spare a dime for a cup of coffee?”
callous
adj. thick-skinned; insensitive
Jim’s terrible experiences in the war have made him callous about the suffering of others.
calumny
n. false and malicious accusation; slander
“Be thou chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny.” -Shakespeare
canard
n. false, deliberately misleading story
Most politicians do not want to be associated with the old canard that big government in Washington can solve all of America’s problems.
canon
n. an established principle; a basis or standard for judgment; a group of literary works
Canons of aesthetic taste vary over the years; the Rococo period, for example, valued ornate art.
