vocab glossary 3 Flashcards
audacity
noun
i) willingness to take bold risks
ii) behavior that is rude
i can’t believe you had the audacity to say that
Abomination
noun
i) a feeling of hatred
ii) something that causes disgust or hatred
Pinion
noun/verb
i) (noun) the terminal section of a bird’s wing including the carpus, metacarpus, and phalanges
ii) (verb) to disable or restrain by binding the arm
The police pinioned the kidnapper to his car while they handcuffed him.
parapet
noun
A protective edge or rampart.
The soldiers stood behind the parapet in order to take cover.
avarice
noun
i) Immoderate desire for wealth; cupidity, greed.
ii) Excessive or inordinate desire of gain; greediness after wealth; covetousness; cupidity.
The corporate world is plagued by avarice and a thirst for power.
perturb
verb
i) To disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious.
ii) To throw into great confusion.
The sound of thunder never failed to perturb my dog
malevolence
noun
i) the quality, state, or feeling of being malevolent (adj; having or showing a wish to do evil to others)
ii) ill will, malice, hatred
The malevolence shown by the other team was horrible.
sinister
adjective
i) threatening or pertaining evil, harm, or trouble; ominous
ii) bad, evil, disastrous, unfavorable
No one felt like mentioning the sinister comment he had declared earlier that day.
sylvan
adjective
i) adj. of, relating to, or characteristic of the woods or forest
ii) adj. living or located in the woods or forest
The house is sylvan, secluded from the city.
corpulent
adjective
having a large or bulky body: obese
The corpulent hamster got stuck on its back because it could not roll over.
Vicissitude
noun
a change or variation in circumstances, often unwelcome.
interchange or alternation, as of states or things.
i.) Even though Shelly had many vicissitudes during her childhood, she became one of the richest women.
ii.) One vicissitude of having a dog is that they shed everywhere.
gesticulate
verb
to make movements with your hands or arms, esp. to help express something when you are speaking
The coach gesticulates the next play to the captain.
melodious
adjective
i) pleasant and relaxing to listen to
ii)beautiful to listen to
My brother’s band was not melodious.
jubilant
adjective
showing great joy or satisfaction
feeling or expressing great happiness, especially because of success
i.) Laughing always puts people in a jubilant mood.
ii.) Finishing my research paper made me feel jubilant.
esoteric
adjective
i) Understood only by a chosen few or an enlightened
inner circle.
ii) Confidential; private, secret.
I have prohibited my friends from describing vines in esoteric terms because not everyone understands.
coiffure
noun
A hairstyle.
A headdress, or manner of dressing the hair.
iii.) Colonial men had impressive coiffures. Donald Trump does not.
precipice
noun
a very steep rock face or cliff, typically a tall one.
a hazardous situation
i.) The country was on the precipice of war
ii.) The precipice was steep and when she looked down she could not see the ground.
incorrigible
adjective
firmly fixed; not easily changed
not easily influenced
i.) Although he spent a year in jail he was not incorrigible once he was released
venerable
adjective
Commanding respect by virtue of age, dignity, character, or position.
Worthy of reverence, especially by religious or historical association
i.) Okonkwo is a venerable man with many wives, yams, and titles.
prodigious
adjective
Impressively great in size, force, or extent; enormous
Extraordinary; marvelous
After a prodigious dinner, I went into a food coma.
subterfuge
noun
using deception to achieve one’s goal
a dishonest way to get what you want
i.) Some people believe that the paparazzi often use subterfuge when taking photos of celebrities.
decrepit
adjective
worn out by age
in a weak state as an elder from a tiring life
i.)We drove our car past a street of decrepit houses.
benevolently
adverb
well meaning and kindly
serving a charitable purpose
i.) Marie benevolently gave the man on the street money.
voluble
adjective
speaking continuously and fluently.
easily rolling or turning
i.) Although Julian is normally a voluble speaker, he appeared speechless when he won the award.
approbation
noun a warm expression of praise or approval official approval proof; attestation i.) Julie’s approbation was received with bitter confusion by her rigid friend.
contusion
noun
a wound or injury in which the skin is not broken, but results in discoloration and the breaking of blood vessels.
the state of being beaten or bruised; the process of beating or bruising
i.) The doctor identified the source of Jem’s leg pain to be a contusion.
paraphernalia
noun
personal belongings
articles of equipment/accessory items
i.) My sewing paraphernalia stopped working, so I was forced to throw it out.
acerbic
adjective
sharply or bitingly critical, sarcastic, or ironic in temper, mood, or tone
used to describe something that is spoken or written in a way that is direct, clever, and cruel
i.) The New York Times columnist had written an acerbic article on Jennifer Lawrence’s new movie.
austerity
noun
The quality of being austere (“austere” meaning “severe or stern in appearance”)
Severe and rigid economy, wartime austerity
i.) The director of the play didn’t want to drive away actors because of his austerity.
melee
noun
Confused, hand-to-hand fighting in a pitched battle, a violent free-for-all
A confused tumultuous mingling
i.) The melee between the 2 countries resulted in thousands of casualties.
calamity
noun
an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster
i.) The hurricane that just hit Florida was a calamity.
Precipitous
adjective
dangerously high or steep.
(of an action) done suddenly and without careful consideration.
I climbed the precipitous mountain.
