Vocab 4 (M-P) Flashcards
Macrame
The art of weaving pieces of string together in knots to form a decorative pattern, or something made this way.
Magnanimous
Very kind and generous towards an enemy or someone you have defeated.
Magnum
a type of gun with bullets which are fired with more power than is usual for a gun of that size.
1.5 litres of wine, or a bottle containing this.
Malevolence
causing or wanting to cause harm or evil
Mandala
a symbolic circular figure, usually with symmetric divisions and figures of deities etc. in the centre, used in Buddhism and other religions as a representation of the universe.
an archetype of a similar cycle, held to symbolise a striving for unity of self and completeness.
Mansard
more fully mansard roof - a roof in which each face has two slopes, the lower one steeper than the upper, a curb roof.
a storey or apartment under a mansard roof.
Matriculation
to be formally admitted to study at a university or college
Mausoleum
a building in which the bodies of dead people are buried
Maverick
a person who thinks and acts in an independent way, often behaving differently from the expected or usual way.
Medley
a mixture of different items, especially tunes put together to form a longer piece of music.
a swimming competition in which each of four swimmers in a team uses a different method of swimming
Melange
a mixture, a group of different things or people
Meritorious
Deserving great praise
Mesa
A high rocky tableland or plateau; a flat topped hill with precipitous suites. Earliest in names of particular plateaux or hills
Microcosm
A small place, society or situation which has the same characteristics as something much larger
Militate
To make something less likely to happen or succeed.
Minatory
Expressing or conveying a threat; threatening, menacing.
Mirth
Laughter, amusement or happiness.
Misanthropy
Someone who dislikes other people and avoids involvement with society.
Misapprehension
A failure to understand something or an understanding or belief about something that is not correct.
Mitigation
To make something less harmful, unpleasant or bad
Modish
Be fashionable at a particular time
Monolithic
Too large, too regular or without interesting differences and unwilling or unable to be changed.
Monotheism
The belief that there is only one God.
Moot
To suggest something for discussion;
Tending to be discussed or argued about and having no definite answer .
A mock trial at court with an imaginary case for students studying law
Morass
Something that is extremely complicated and difficult to deal with and makes any progress almost impossible
Moratorium
A stopping of an activity for an agreed amount of time.
Mordant
Cruel, criticizing, in an amusing way.
Mosey
To walk or go slowly, usually without a special purpose
Mote
Something, especially a bit of dust, that is so small it is impossible to see
Motif
An idea that is used many times in a piece of writing or music
Mötley
Consisting of many different types and therefor appearing strange or of low quality
Mounte-bank
- An itinerant quack, esp a vendor of medicines, appealing to an audience from a raised platform and using stories, juggling etc. and often the assistance of a professional clown or fool
- A false pretender to skill or knowledge, a charlatan; a person incurring contempt or ridicule through efforts to acquire something esp. Social distinction and glamor
Mulct
A fine imposed for an offense; a penalty of any kind
Murky
Describes a situation that is complicated and unpleasant, and about which many facts are unclear
Nadir
The worst moment, or the moment of least hope and least achievement.
Nary
Not a, not a single; no.
Née
Used after a woman’s married name to introduce the family name by which she was known before she got married.
Neologism
Expression, or a new meaning for an existing word
Nexus
An important connection between the parts of a system or a group of things
Nibelung
Any of a race of subterranean dwarfs whose horde of riches and magic ring were taken from then by Siegfried.
Niche
A hollow in a wall, especially one made to put a statue in so that it can be seen
Nike
The goddess of victory in Ancient Greece. She was honored by Zeus because she fought on the side of the gods against the titans.
Nip and tuck.
If a competition is nip and tick, first one side seems to be winning and then the other, so that the result is uncertain.
A series of small reductions.
Plastic surgery
Non sequitur
A statement which does not correctly follow from the meaning of the precious statement
Nuance
A very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound etc.
Nuclear family
A family consisting of two parents and their children, but not including aunts, uncles, grandparents etc.
extended family?
Obeisance
Obedience and respect, or something you do which expresses this
Obi
A sash worn round the waist with Japanese clothing
In Nigeria: a hut, a house esp. one for ceremonial purposes
Obsequious
Too eager to praise or obey someone
Obstreperous
Too eager to have an argument; difficult to deal with and noisy
Odometer
A device in a vehicle that measures and shows the distance it travels.
Onerous
Difficult to do or needing a lot of effort
Onslaught
A very powerful attack
Onyx
A valuable stone with white and grey strips that is used in jewellery and decorations.
Opaque
Describes writing or speech that is difficult to understand
Orthotic
Serving as or applying as an artificial external device, as a brace or splint, serving to prevent or assist relative movement in the limbs or spine
Otiose
Describes a word or phrase or sometimes an idea that is unnecessary of has been used several times.
Overdraft
An amount of money that a customer with a bank amount is temporarily allowed to owe to the bank, or the agreement which allows this.
Paddy
An Irish person
A very angry state
Palatable
Describes food or fink that has a pleasant taste
Acceptable
Palaver
Inconvenience and trouble
Idle, incessant or unintelligible talk.
Palazzo
A palatial mansion; a large imposing building
Pampas
The large flat areas of land covered in grass in parts of the South America
Pan
An area sunk below its surroundings
To sort into differed parts.
Pandemic
Existing disease in almost all of an area or in almost all of a group of people, animals or plants
Paper tiger
Something such as en enemy or foreign country, which seems very strong and very dangerous but which is really weak and harmless
Paragon
A person or think that is perfect or has an unusually large amount of a particular good characteristic
Parcel
To divide something and give the separate parts to people
An assemblage of entities making up a unit
Pare
To cut away the outer later of something, especially a vegetable.
To reduce something, especially a large town
Parlous
Very bad, dangerous or uncertain.
Paroxysm
A sudden and powerful expression of a strong feeling, especially one that you cannot control
Pathos
The power of a situation, piece of writing, work of art or person to cause feelings of sympathy.
Peccadillo
A small fault or a not very bad action
An inappropriate act of statement
Peerless
Describes something that is better than any other of its type
Peninsula
A long piece of land which sticks out from a larger area of land into the sea or into a lake
Penultimate
Second from the last
Perfidious
Unable to be trusted, or showing a lack of loyalty.
Perfidy
Behavior that is not loyal
Peripheral
Describes something that is not as important as something else.
Periphery
The less important part of a group or activity
Permutation
Any of the various ways in which a set of things can be ordered
One of several different forms
The process or result of marked change
Peroration
Closing remarks, conclusion, summation
Length talk
To speak in a loud, pompous of prolonged manner
Perpetuate
To cause something to continue
To cause to last endlessly
Persnickety
Giving too much attention to small unimportant details in a way that annoys people.
Perspicacious
Marked by or capable of keen insight or perception.
Phalanx
A large group of people standing very close to each other, usually for the purpose of defence or attack.
Piety
Religious devotion and reverence.
Pilaster
A rectangular column or pillar, esp. one projecting from a wall. Formerly also, the square pier of an arch, bridge, shape etc.
A cylindrical shape.
Platonic
confined to words, theories or ideals, and not leading to practical action.
Pollex
The thumb; the first or innermost digit on the forefoot of a tetrapod vertebrate.
Pomp
Splendid and colourful ceremony, especially the traditional ceremony on public occasions.
Porcine
Of or pertaining to a pig or pigs
Portmanteau
A large case for carrying clothes while travelling, especially one which opens out into two parts.
Consisting of or combining two or more separable aspects and qualities.
Postulate
Something taken to be true without proof.
Potable
Drinkable
Potpourri
A miscellaneous assortment or collection of things.
Precipitate
To make something happen suddenly or sooner than expected.
An action or state brought about by a cause.
To throw someone or something from a height with great force.
Precis
A short form of a test which briefly gives only the important parts.
Preclude
To prohibit/prevent from occurring.
Precursor
Something which happened or existed before another thing, especially if it either developed into it or had an influence on it.
Pre-emptive
Describes something that is done before other people can act, especially to prevent them from doing something else.
Preplate
A high ranking member of the clergy, especially a bishop.
Prevail
To achieve success or victory.
To get control or influence.
To be common among a group of people or area at a particular time.
Prevalent
Existing very commonly or happening frequently.
Accepted by or adhered to by people in general.
Prig
A person who is too much concerned with propriety, considers themselves to be morally better than other people.
Primal
Relating to the time when human life on Earth began.
Basic and connected with an early stage of development.
Privation
A lack of the basic things that are necessary for an acceptable standard of living.
The condition of being extremely poor.
Pro forma
Describes words or actions that are usual or done in the usual way.
A list of items that have been ordered which is sent with their prices to a customer so that the items can be paid for before they are delivered.
Procured
To acquire as a result of effort or action.
Prodigious
Extremely great in ability, amount or strength.
Prolific
Producing a great number of amount of something.
Proponent
A person who speaks publicly of a particular idea or plan of action.
Proscription
A restraint or restriction put upon an action.
Provender
An edible, solid substance consumed to maintain life.
Provident
Making arrangements for future needs, especially by saving money.
Prowess
Great ability or skill.
The quality or state of being heroic.
Prune
To make or become less dense or compact
