voc23 Flashcards
Alleviated
made less severe [alleviation (n); alleviate (v)]
Apostrophe
- punctuation mark; 2. appeal to someone not present (a figure of speech)
Centurion
roman soldier (commander of a company of 100 soldiers)
Emollient
softening (a); something which softens (n)
Fusillade
long burst of gunfire
Inerrancy
infallibility; inability to make mistakes [inerrant (a)]
Mince
- chop into small pieces; 2. walk with tiny steps,3. speak in an affected manner
Palpate
medical term meaning to examine with the hands
Platitude
unoriginal,obvious saying
Quibble
- (v) to argue about minor matters; to play on words when finding fault; 2. (n) a minor verbal point in an argument
Conniving
cunning; scheming [connive (v)]
Derision
mockery [deride (v)]
Epigram
short,witty saying
Lassitude
lack of energy; weariness
Pedantic
over-insistent on matters of book-learning [pedant (n)]
Phenomenology
branch of science concerned with things as they are perceived; not directly derived from theory
Precipitate
- hurried (a); 2. insoluble product of a reaction in chemistry (n),3. to instigate or speed up an action (v)
Renege
go back on promise or retract statement
Dawdler
waste time; be slow
slow person who falls behind others [dawdle (v)]
Dross
something worthless; impurities left after refining
Expiate
atone; make amends for
Hack
- chop roughly; 2. person who writes to earn money,3. hired horse
Prone
- vulnerable to; 2. horizontal
Propensity
tendency; inclination
Scabbard
cover for a sword
Skiff
small boat
Umbrage
- shadow; 2. offence; sense of injury
Dilettantism
dabbling esp. in the arts [dilettante (n) = person who dabbles]
Enervate
weaken
Malevolent
having evil intentions [malevolence(n)]
Neophyte
new convert; tyro
Panegyric
speech praising someone; laudatory words
Presage
forewarn of; indicate
Serration
jagged edge
Slight
- minor (a); 2. perceived insult (v) and (n)
Tare
- weed; 2. allowance made for container when weighing
Unprepossessing
unattractive
Aberration
deviation from the normal
Cant
insincere talk
Disinter
dig up [opposite inter = bury]