UNIT5 Flashcards
anodyne
n. something that calms or soothes pain
Some people use alcohol as an anodyne to numb their emotional pain.
Anodyne is an adjective that means relaxing, or capable of soothing pain.
The public relations officer is remarkably anodyne; all he does is
mouth comforting, politically correct platitudes, saying nothing of substance.
anomalous
adj. irregular; deviating from the norm
The psychologist discounted the anomalous behavior of the soldier, saying it was merely a short-term effect of the stress of battle.
The noun is anomaly.
A moral dilemma that arises with humanity’s ability to clone is
posed in the following hypothetical scenario: a pig that produces much more meat than a normal pig can be cloned, but the pig’s life span would be cut in half because of anomalies in the cloning process: Is it right to clone such an animal?
antecedent
n. something that comes before
Historical factors, such as the increased emphasis on the individual, the invention of printing, and the rise of the bourgeoisie, contributed to make the Reformation, which had its antecedents in the reform movement within the Roman Catholic Church, into a much broader phenomenon that created powerful churches that grew to rival the original church.
antediluvian
adj. prehistoric
Most of our knowledge of antediluvian times has been built up as a result of one of humanity’s grandest collaborative endeavors- the gathering, identification, dating, and categorization of fossils as they are discovered.
antipathy
n. dislike; hostility
Heathcliff, the protagonist of Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights, feels great antipathy for Edgar Linton, the man who marries the woman he loves.
apathy
n. indifference
Apathy was high in the election because there was no major controversy or issue to arouse voter interest.
The adjective is apathetic.
One criticism of the welfare state is that it makes people overly reliant on government, with the result that democracy is gradually weakened as citizens take a more apathetic and detached view of politics.
apex
n. the highest point
In English literature, classicism reached its apex in the poetry of
Alexander Pope and the other Augustans.
apogee
n. the point in an orbit most distant from the body being
orbited; the highest point
The Ottoman Empire reached its apogee in the seventeenth century, when it controlled a territory running from Budapest to North Africa.
apothegm
n. a terse, witty saying (pronounced AP-uh-them and
also spelled apophthegm)
One of the best-known political apothegms was written by the
British historian Lord Acton: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
appease
v. to calm; pacify; placate
Many historians have criticized British Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain for trying to appease Adolf Hitler in the 1930s.
n. something that calms or soothes pain
anodyne
adj. irregular; deviating from the norm
anomalous
n. something that comes before
antecedent
adj. prehistoric
antediluvian
n. dislike; hostility
antipathy
n. indifference
apathy
n. the highest point
apex
n. the point in an orbit most distant from the body being
orbited; the highest point
apogee
n. a terse, witty saying (pronounced AP-uh-them and
also spelled apophthegm)
apothegm
v. to calm; pacify; placate
appease
