Unit5 Flashcards
malevolent
Having or showing intense ill will or hatred.
eg. Captain Ahab sees Moby Dick not simply as a whale but as a powerfully malevolent foe.
malicious
Desiring to cause pain, injury, or distress to another.
eg. The boys didn’t take the apples with any malicious intent; they were just hungry and didn’t know any better.
malign
To make harsh and often false or misleading statements about.
eg. Captain Bligh of the Bounty may be one of the most unjustly maligned figures in British naval history.
malnourished
Badly or poorly nourished.
eg. When they finally found the children in the locked cabin, they were pale and malnourished but unharmed.
cataclysm
(1) A violent and massive change of the earth’s surface. (2) A momentous event that results in great upheaval and often destruction.
eg. World War I was a great cataclysm in modern history, marking the end of the old European social and political order.
catacomb
An underground cemetery of connecting passageways with recesses for tombs.
eg. The early Christian catacombs of Rome provide a striking glimpse into the ancient past for modern-day visitors.
catalyst
(1) A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction or lets it take place under different conditions. (2) Someone or something that brings about or speeds significant change or action.
eg. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914 turned out to be the catalyst for World War I.
catatonic
(1) Relating to or suffering from a form of schizophrenia. (2) Showing an unusual lack of movement, activity, or expression.
eg. After an hour, extreme boredom had produced a catatonic stupor in those of the audience who were still awake.
protagonist
The main character in a literary work.
eg. Macbeth is the ruthlessly ambitious protagonist of Shakespeare’s play, but it is his wife who pulls the strings.
protocol
(1) A code of diplomatic or military rules of behavior. (2) A set of rules for the formatting of data in an electronic communications system.
eg. The guests at the governor’s dinner were introduced and seated according to the strict protocol governing such occasions.
protoplasm
The substance that makes up the living parts of cells.
eg. A mixture of organic and inorganic substances, such as protein and water, protoplasm is regarded as the physical basis of life.
prototype
(1) An original model on which something is patterned. (2) A first, full-scale, usually working version of a new type or design.
eg. There was great excitement when, after years of top-secret development, the prototype of the new Stealth bomber first took to the skies.
antechamber
An outer room that leads to another and is often used as a waiting room.
eg. The antechamber to the lawyer’s office was both elegant and comfortable, designed to inspire trust and confidence.
antedate
(1) To date something (such as a check) with a date earlier than that of actual writing. (2) To precede in time.
eg. Nantucket Island has hundreds of beautifully preserved houses that antedate the Civil War.
antecedent
(1) A word or phrase that is referred to by a pronoun that follows it. (2) An event or cause coming before something.
eg. As I remember, she said “My uncle is taking my father, and he’s staying overnight,” but I’m not sure what the antecedent of “he” was.
anterior
(1) Located before or toward the front or head. (2) Coming before in time or development.
eg. When she moved up to join the first-class passengers in the plane’s anterior section, she was delighted to recognize the governor in the next seat.
orthodontics
A branch of dentistry that deals with the treatment and correction of crooked teeth and other irregularities.
eg. A specialty in orthodontics would require three more years of study after completing her dentistry degree.
orthodox
(1) Holding established beliefs, especially in religion. (2) Conforming to established rules or traditions; conventional.
eg. The O’Briens remain orthodox Catholics, faithfully observing the time- honored rituals of their church.
orthopedics
The correction or prevention of deformities of the skeleton.
eg. For surgery to correct the child’s spinal curvature, they were referred to the hospital’s orthopedics section.
orthography
The spelling of words, especially spelling according to standard usage.
eg. Even such eloquent writers as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were deficient in the skill of orthography.
rectitude
Moral integrity.
eg. The school superintendent was stern and not terribly popular, but no one questioned her moral rectitude.
rectify
To set right; remedy.
eg. The college is moving to rectify this unfortunate situation before anyone else gets hurt.
rectilinear
(1) Moving in or forming a straight line. (2) Having many straight lines.
eg. After admiring Frank Lloyd Wright’s rectilinear buildings for years, the public was astonished by the giant spiral of the Guggenheim Museum.
directive
Something that guides or directs; especially, a general instruction from a high-level body or official.
eg. At the very beginning of the administration, the cabinet secretary had sent out a directive to all border-patrol personnel.
eugenic
Relating to or fitted for the production of good offspring through controlled breeding.
eg. Eugenic techniques have been part of sheep breeding for many years.
euphemism
An agreeable or inoffensive word or expression that is substituted for one that may offend or disgust.
eg. The Victorians, uncomfortable with the physical side of human existence, had euphemisms for most bodily functions.
euphoria
A strong feeling of well-being or happiness.
eg. Swept up in the euphoria of a Super Bowl victory, the whole city seemed to have poured out into the streets.
eulogy
(1) A formal speech or writing especially in honor of a dead person. (2) High praise.
eg. The book was a fond eulogy to the 1950s, when Americans had joined social organizations of all kinds.
dystopia
An imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives.
eg. For a 10-year-old British boy, boarding school could be a grim dystopia, with no comforts, harsh punishments, and constant bullying.
dyslexia
A disturbance or interference with the ability to read or to use language.
eg. She managed to deal with her dyslexia through careful tutoring all throughout elementary school.
dyspeptic
(1) Relating to or suffering from indigestion. (2) Having an irritable temperament; ill-humored.
eg. For decades the dyspeptic columnist served as the newspaper’s—and the city’s—resident grouch.
dysplasia
Abnormal development of cells or organs, or an abnormal structure resulting from such growth.
eg. The infant was born with minor hip dysplasia, which was fixed by a routine operation.
a fortiori
All the more certainly.
eg. If drug users are going to be subject to mandatory sentences, then, a fortiori, drug dealers should be subject to them also.
a posteriori
Relating to or derived by reasoning from known or observed facts.
eg.Most Presidents will come to the a posteriori conclusion that a booming economy is entirely due to their own economic policies.
a priori
Relating to or derived by reasoning from self-evident propositions.
eg. Her colleagues rejected the a priori argument because it rested on assumptions they felt weren’t necessarily true.
bona fide
(1) Made in good faith, without deceit. (2) Authentic or genuine.
eg. According to the broker, they’ve made a bona fide offer to buy the property.
carpe diem
Enjoy the pleasures or opportunities of the moment without concern about the future.
eg. When he learned the phrase “Carpe diem” in high-school Latin class, he knew he’d found the motto he would live by for the rest of his life.
caveat emptor
Let the buyer beware.
eg. The best rule to keep in mind when buying anything from a pushcart is: “Caveat emptor.”
corpus delicti
(1) The substantial and basic fact or facts necessary to prove that a crime has been committed. (2) The material substance, such as the murdered body, on which a crime has been committed.
eg. The police believed they had solved the crime, but couldn’t prove their case without the corpus delicti.
curriculum vitae
A short summary of one’s career and qualifications, typically prepared by an applicant for a position; résumé.
eg. The job advertisement asked for an up-to-date curriculum vitae and three recommendations.
