Vocab List 4 Flashcards
Euthanasia
The painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or coma
A couple of countries have begun to legalize euthanasia recently.
Pejorative
a word expressing contempt or disapproval
The teacher yelled pejoratives at the students
Pedagogue
A teacher, especially one who is strict or old fashioned
The man had an air or pedagogy
Euphemism
a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered harsh
“Pass away” is a euphemism for dying.
Ennui
a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from lack of occupation or excitement
She succumbed to ennui after being home sick for a week
Parsimonious
unwilling to spend money
The man was very parsimonious and refused to buy new shoes even though his were falling apart
Esoteric
Intended for a small group with a specialized knowledge or interest
The lecture had many esoteric anecdotes
Peregrination
a long and meandering journey
She likes to listen to music while on a peregrination
etymology
the study of the origin of words and how their meanings have developed
We study the etymology of words derived from Latin in Latin class.
Perigee
The point in orbit where an object is closest to Earth
The moon was at its perigee last night
Fecundity
the ability to produce an abundance of offspring
There was an increase in fecundity in the population of butterflies last year
Filial
of or due from a son or daughter
He was shown a display of filial affection
Contiguous
sharing a common border
Maine is located in the contiguous United States
Clandestine
kept secret or done secretly
The clandestine meeting was ominous
fractious
irritable or quarrelsome
The children were fractious
Persiflage
light and slightly contemptuous mockery or banter
The script had an air of persiflage
Cognomen
a name or nickname
Publius Cornelius Scipio earned the cognomen “Africanus” after his victory against Hannibal.
Perspicacious
having real insight into and understanding of things
The reporter made many perspicacious insights
Bovine
cow-like, related to cows
The origin of the leather is bovine
Consanguinity
the fact of being descended from the same ancestor
My cousin and I share consanguinity
Perquisite
another word for perk
A bonus is a perquisite of the job.
Corporeal
relating to a person’s body especially as opposed to their spirit
A ghost is not corporeal but a skeleton is.
Pernicious
having harmful effects, especially in a gradual or subtle way
The disease is pernicious
Gustatory
concerned with tasting or the sense of taste
The restaurant served many gustatory delights
Gregarious
fond of company, sociable
My dog is very gregarious
Halcyon
denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful
The halcyon days of childhood are remembered fondly
Curmudgeon
A bad tempered person, especially an old one
The old man next door is quite the curmudgeon
Pachyderm
a really big animal with thick skin
An elephant is a pachyderm
Apropos
with reference to; concerning
We discussed the book, apropos the theme.
Nomenclature
devising or choosing names for things
Biology uses a specific nomenclature for species.
