Unit 38 Flashcards
Harrowing
(adj) extremely distressing; terrifying
e. g. The journey “inward” to explore the unconscious mind has been described as more harrowing than the most dangerous voyage to explore the Earth.
Herbivorous
(adj) relating to a herbivore, an animal that feeds mainly on plants
e. g. Most researchers now believe that the common ancestors of apes and humans was a strongly herbivorous animal.
Hermetic
(adj) tightly sealed; magical
e. g. Scholars have traced many of hermetic traditions of ancient Greece to Egypt.
Heterodox
(adj) unorthodox; not widely accepted
e. g. Heterodox views.
Hieroglyphics
(n) a system of writing in which pictorial symbols represent meaning or sounds; writing or symbols that are difficult to decipher; the symbols used in advanced mathematics
Hirsute
(adj) covered with hair
e. g. One of the most obvious differences between humans and closely related species such as chimpanzees is that the latter are hirsute, while the former have relatively little hair.
Histrionic
(adj) relating to exaggerated emotional behavior calculated for effect; theatrical arts or performances
- Histrionics (n): emotional behavior done for effect
e.g. Whenever the star of the movie does not get her way on the set, she flies into a histrionic fit.
Homeostasis
(n) automatic maintenance by an organism of normal temperature, chemical balance, etc. within itself
e. g. An example of homeostasis in mammals is the regulation of glucose levels in the blood, which is done mainly by liver and insulin secreted by the pancreas.
Homily
(n) sermon; tedious moralizing lecture; platitude
e. g. The pastor’s homilies have been published in an anthology.
Homogeneous
(adj) composed of identical parts; uniform in composition
e. g. Culturally speaking the farmers constitute an extremely homogeneous group.
Animosity
(n) strong hostility
e. g. He no longer felt any animosity toward her.
