VOCAB TOEFL GRE SAT 2015 Flashcards
DEMISE
demise |diˈmīz|
noun [ in sing. ]
1 a person’s death: Mr. Grisenthwaite’s tragic demise.
• the end or failure of an enterprise or institution: the demise of industry.
2 Law conveyance or transfer of property or a title by demising.
verb [ with obj. ] Law
convey or grant (an estate) by will or lease.
• transmit (a sovereign’s title) by death or abdication.
ORIGIN late Middle English (as a legal term): from Anglo-Norman French, past participle (used as a noun) of Old French desmettre ‘dismiss,’ (in reflexive) ‘abdicate,’ based on Latin dimittere (see dismiss) .
— After Bear’s demise last March, newly retired CEO Jimmy Cayne blamed Goldman Sachs, among others, for hastening its death.
—Is this trend another sign of the demise of the middle class?
— The property has demised to the king’s heirs
— Surely some would have devoted a life to science, dissecting the Mayan language or the searching out demise of the Anasazi Empire.
— The reigning duke, John William, was childless and insane, and several princes were only waiting for his demise in order to seize his lands.
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ELABORATE
adjective |iˈlab(ə)rit|
1: planned or done with great care or with much detail
2: marked by complexity, fullness of detail, or ornateness
3. having many parts that are carefully arranged or planned
— To explain something at greater length or in greater detail: asked me to elaborate on my proposal.
— 2. Intricate and rich in detail: a carpet with an elaborate pattern.
— very detailed and complicated — The government’s new healthcare plan is the most elaborate yet.
— used about something that is more complicated than is practical or necessary —
I took no notice of John’s elaborate preparations for travel.
— used about something that has a lot of extra details or features that make it special
There are times when you need a more elaborate flower arrangement.
— They made elaborate preparations for his visit.
— I see now that her behavior was all part of an elaborate plan.
— The dancers were wearing elaborate costumes.
— He told the story in elaborate detail.
— I stared for hours at the elaborate pattern in the rug.
— He didn’t elaborate further but the boy seemed to understand.
— Every year on Halloween, regardless where they were living, the vampires threw an elaborate party.
— Sarah prepared an elaborate breakfast in the morning.
adjective
The definition of elaborate is done with great or numerous details.
— An example of elaborate is a wedding with a horse drawn carriage, a chocolate fountain, perfectly matching linens and a carefully executed theme.
— An example of elaborate is a chandelier with many branches, hanging crystals and other decorations.
verb
— Elaborate is defined as to add details to something.
— An example of elaborate is to add more details to a story.
involving many carefully arranged parts or details; detailed and complicated in design and planning: elaborate security precautions | elaborate wrought-iron gates.
• (of an action) lengthy and exaggerated: he made an elaborate pretense of yawning.
verb |iˈlabəˌrāt|
1 [ with obj. ] develop or present (a theory, policy, or system) in detail: the key idea of the book is expressed in the title and elaborated in the text.
• [ no obj. ] add more detail concerning what has already been said: he would not elaborate on his news.
2 [ with obj. ] Biology (of a natural agency) produce (a substance) from its elements or simpler constituents.
CIRCUMVENT
circumvent |ˌsərkəmˈvent|
verb [ with obj. ]
find a way around (an obstacle).
• overcome (a problem or difficulty), typically in a clever and surreptitious way: I found it quite easy to circumvent security.
• archaic deceive; outwit: he’s circumvented her with some of his stories.
DERIVATIVES
circumvention |-ˈvenCHən|noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin circumvent- ‘skirted around,’ from the verb circumvenire, from circum ‘around’ + venire ‘come.’
ABDICATE
To give up the power or control
— The king abdicated his throne so he could marry the woman he actually loved.
— If Phil abdicates his responsibilities, the entrée company will suffer.
— Ted’s mother says that parents these days are abdicating their responsibility to teach their kids right from wrong.
AGNOSTIC
Someone who is not certain about existence of god
—As an agnostic, Drew can’t say for sure if God exists. He believes that definite answers can not be known about religion. Though his parents have strong religious beliefs, Drew has always tended to be an agnostic about faith and religion.
APPEASE
To calm someone down by giving them what they want
To calm someone down, especially by giving in to the demands
To quiet someone by giving them what they want
To reduce to a state of peace;
— An example is that a mother might give her child a lollipop to appease him after listening to him beg for hours.
— Joshua tried to appease his son by buying him a halloo. His son kept crying and carrying on until Joshua calmed him down with the balloon. At first, Joshua was hesitant to buy the balloon for his son, but appeasing the little boy was more important that spending money on a silly balloon.
ARCANE
Meant for or mown to only a select few
Understood by few; mysterious or secret:
A near synonym is esoteric, as in remote information or knowledge.
—An example of arcane rituals would be Masonic rituals.
— Almost everyone knows the basics of baseball, but only an elite few possess the arcane knowledge of its history that marks the true fan.
esoteric
confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle
AUGMENT
Make (something) greater by adding to it; increase:
— He augmented his summer income by painting houses.
— The budget was augmented by various donations.
— A woman getting her breast size increased with plastic surgery is an example of augment.
—Photographer augmented he groom’s height by making him stand on a stool before taking the photograph.
— The newlywed couple hoped to augment their family by having several children.
— The presidents speech augmented the growing turmoil in the country.
BAFFLE
To confuse or frustrate someone
— In the early 1980s, millions of people wee baffled by puzzles like Rubik’s Cube. Most people were able to get one color matched up, and a few people were ablate to do two sides, but anything beyond that wound up baffling people. Many people were so confused by the cube that they couldn’t pick it up without becoming frustrated. Other people, no matter how baffled they were by the toy, stuck with it for hours even if they didn’t succeed.
BEWILDER
To bewilder is to cause someone to be confused by something complicated.
— An example of bewilder is when you ask someone a complicated question that he cannot answer.
— The question seemed to bewilder the woman.
— He repeated the words with bewildering rapidity.
— He was bewildered when a well-loved member of the community is found dead in the maple woods.
— He was bewildered why he hasn’t scored.
— The buyer was bewildered by the range available.
—There was a bewildering maze of funds equally matched by complex application procedures.
—The shop had a bewildering variety of silks.
BANDY
To throw or pass back and forth
The tennis match contented for hours, with both pliers doing a find job of bandying the ball across the net. Another usage could be: We bandied about several plans for the evening but eventually decided to do nothing.
— Another example: The dogs bandied the bone around for a while before we called them in for dinner.
— An example of bandy is for two people to play catch with a baseball and mitts.
— An example of bandy is for a group of people to talk about restaurant options where they can eat for dinner.
BULWARK
A defensive wall.
CHURLISH
rude in a mean-spirited and surly way: it seems churlish to complain.
The definition of churlish is a rude, selfish or mean person.
UNDERTAKE
undertake |ˌəndərˈtāk|
Undertake means to start something or agree to do something.
— An example of to undertake is to begin a journey.
— An example of to undertake is to sign a contract for a new job.
—To undertake is defined as to manage funerals and burials.
An example of to undertake is run a funeral home.
— Contractors will often undertake to drill wells of moderate depth at 90 cents to $1 per foot, but the cost of a deep well may amount to as much as $7000.
— In February 1901 he was called upon to undertake the administration of the two Boer states, both now annexed to the British Empire, though the war was still in progress.
verb ( past undertook;past participle undertaken ) [ with obj. ]
commit oneself to and begin (an enterprise or responsibility); take on: a firm of builders undertook the construction work.
• [ usu. with infinitive ] promise to do a particular thing: the firm undertook to keep price increases to a minimum.
• [ with clause ] guarantee or affirm something; give as a formal pledge: a truck driver implicitly undertakes that he is reasonably skilled as a driver.
PERPLEX
perplex |pərˈpleks|
verb [ with obj. ]
(of something complicated or unaccountable) cause (someone) to feel completely baffled: she was perplexed by her husband’s moodiness.
• dated complicate or confuse (a matter): they were perplexing a subject plain in itself.
