Unit One Flashcards
posit
(v.) assume as a fact; put forward as a basis of argument; to put in position, place; (n.) a statement which is made on the assumption that it will prove to be true
expunge
(v.) erase or remove completely (something unwanted or unpleasant)
virtuoso
(n.) a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit
precocious
(adj.) exceptionally early in development or occurrence; exhibiting mature qualities at an unusually early age
litany
(n.) a tedious recital or repetitive series; a series of petitions for use in church services or processions, usually recited by the clergy and responded to in a recurring formula by the people
immaculate
(adj.) (especially of a person or their clothes) perfectly clean, neat, or tidy; free from flaws or mistakes; perfect
moniker
(n.) a name
prescient
(adj.) having or showing knowledge of events before they take place
prudent
(adj.) acting with or showing care and thought for the future
didactic
(adj.) intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive; in the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way
philology
(n.) the branch of knowledge that deals with the structure, historical development, and relationships of a language or languages
polemic
(n.) a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something
polemical
(adj.) relating to or involving strongly critical, controversial, or disputatious writing or speech
nosology
(n.) the branch of medical science dealing with the classification of diseases
psephology
(n.) the statistical study of elections and trends in voting
erg
(n.) a unit of work or energy, equal to the work done by a force of one dyne when its point of application moves one centimeter in the direction of action of the force
aphelion
(n.) the point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is furthest from the sun
perihelion
(n.) the point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is closest to the sun
apogee
(n.) the highest point in the development of something; a climax or culmination; the point in the orbit of the moon or a satellite at which it is furthest from the earth
ecdysiast
(n.) a striptease performer
eclectic
(adj.) deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources, denoting or belonging to a class of ancient philosophers who did not belong to or found any recognized school of thought but selected doctrines from various schools of thought; (n.) a person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources
encaustic
(adj.) using pigments mixed with hot wax that are burned in as an inlay; (n.) the art or process of encaustic painting
ellipsis
(n.) the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are superfluous or able to be understood from contextual clues; a set of dots indicating an ellipsis
isagogics
(n.) a branch of theology that is preliminary to actual exegesis and deals with the literary and external history of the Bible
poignant
(adj.) evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret
deign
(v.) do something that one considers to be beneath one’s dignity
artifice
(n.) clever or cunning devices or expedients, especially as used to trick or deceive others
ascetic
(n.) a person who practices severe self-discipline and abstention
abstention
(n.) the fact or practice of restraining oneself from indulging in something; abstinence; an instance of declining to vote for or against a proposal or motion
