Unit 2 SAT Terms Flashcards
Animadversion
(n.)
a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval
Accost
(v.)
to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging/aggressive way
Avid
(adj.)
desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager.
Brackish
(adj.)
Having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink.
Celerity
(n.)
swiftness, rapidity of motion or action.
Devious
(adj.)
straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way.
Gambit
(n.)
in chess, an opening move that involved risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type.
Halcyon
(n.)
a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher.
(adj.)
of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful, happy, golden; prosperous, affluent.
Histrionic
(adj.)
pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial, melodramatic.
Indendiary
(adj.)
Deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion
(n.)
one who causes strife deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife
Maelstrom
(n.)
a whirlpool or great size and violence; a situation; lacking foresight or discernment
Myopic
(adj.)
nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight of discernment
Overt
(adj.)
open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized
Pejorative
(adj.)
tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling
Propriety
(n.)
the state of being proper, appropriateness
(pl.)
standards of what is proper or socially acceptable
Sacrilege
(n.)
improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred
Summarily
(adv.)
without delay or formality; briefly, concisely
Suppliant
(adj.)
asking humbly and earnestly
(n.)
one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor
Talisman
(n.)
an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish.
Undulate
(v.)
to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance of form