Vocab List 6 Flashcards

1
Q

cynosure

A

a person or thing that is the center of attention
My cat likes to think he is the cynosure of our family.

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2
Q

debutante

A

an upper class young woman making her first appearance in society
Rory Gilmore was a debutante in the second season of Gilmore Girls

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3
Q

deprecate

A

express disapproval of
The attempt at an apology was deprecated.

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4
Q

physiognomy

A

a person’s facial features or expressions, especially when indicative of character or ethnic origin
Dr. Jekyll’s physiognomy changed when he became Mr. Hyde

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5
Q

iconoclastic

A

characterized by an attack on cherished beliefs or ideas
Cancel culture has an iconoclastic effect on society

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6
Q

ignominious

A

deserving of or causing public disgrace or shame
The team had an ignominious defeat

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7
Q

ichthyology

A

branch of zoology related to fish
He studies ichthyology in college to become a marine biologist

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8
Q

cacophony

A

a harsh discordant mixture of sounds
There was a sudden cacophony of crashes when all of the plates fell

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9
Q

husbandry

A

care, cultivation, and breeding of crops and animals
The Fertile Crescent is a hearth of husbandry

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10
Q

postprandial

A

during or relating to the period after lunch or dinner
We took a postprandial walk

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11
Q

dissonance

A

lack of harmony among musical notes
There was too much dissonance when the orchestra played

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12
Q

idiosyncrasy

A

a mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual
Her behavior was idiosyncratic after the car crash

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13
Q

ephemeral

A

lasting a short period
Fast fashion is ephemeral

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14
Q

miasma

A

unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapor
People once believed that miasma caused the plague

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15
Q

propinquity

A

the state of being close to someone
The dog was in propinquity to the cat

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16
Q

effigy

A

a sculpture or model of a person
The quarter has an effigy of George Washington

17
Q

mugwump

A

a person who remains aloof or independent from political parties
One is a mugwump before joining a political party

18
Q

promulgate

A

promote or make widely known
The poster promulgates the club to the school.

19
Q

equine

A

related to horses
The hair is of equine origin

20
Q

myopic

A

nearsighted
He has a myopic view of the future

21
Q

prodigal

A

a person who spends money in a recklessly extravagant way
Their prodigal son returned having learned his lesson about extravagancy

22
Q

profligate

A

wasteful in use of resources
Many businesses are profligate users of energy

23
Q

prodigious

A

remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree
Thoreau thought he had a prodigious intellect

24
Q

posthumous

A

occurring, awarded, or appearing after the death of the originator
The book was published posthumously

25
platitude
a remark that has been used too often to be considered interesting or thoughtful Many movies use too many platitudes nowadays
26
hibernal
of, characteristic of, or occurring in winter Pansies are hibernal flowers as they grow in winter
27
dilatory
slow to act The company has been dilatory in hiring for open positions
28
disingenuous
not candid or sincere, usually pretending to know less The coverage of the natural disaster was disingenuous
29
dolorous
feeling or expressing great sorrow or distress The tale is a dolorus one
30
precarious
not securely held, dangerous Be careful of climbing on a precariously placed ladder