Vocabulary Set 2 (23.06.18)

Question 1

Stade (stay d) (adj.)

Answer 1

marked by settled sedateness and often prim self-restraint : SOBER, GRAVE
Ex: Everyone was surprised by the racy joke from the staid professor.

Question 2

wan (waan) (adj.)

Answer 2

SICKLY, PALLID // DIM, FAINT // LANGUID
Ex: A wan smile // She looks a little wan after all that tiring work.

Question 3

draggle (drag guhl) (v.) / bedraggle (adj.)

Answer 3

to make wet and dirty by dragging
Ex: The wet grasses had draggled her skirt to the knees.

Question 4

prolix ( pro licks) (adj.)

Answer 4

unduly prolonged or drawn out : too long
Ex: He was a powerful thinker, but an obscure and prolix writer.

Question 5

physiognomy (fizz ee og na me) (n.)

Answer 5

the art of discovering temperament and character from outward appearance
ex: He formed a favorable judgment of his physiognomy.

Question 6

drawn (drawn) (adj.)

Answer 6

showing the effects of tension, illness or pain
Ex: His illness left him looking very pale and drawn.

Question 7

drow/trow (drau/trau) (n.)

Answer 7

a cold mist or drizzle (Scottish archaic) / a momentary illness, especially a fainting spell; a strong gust of wind / a malignant or mischievous fairy or spirit in the folkloric traditions of the Orkney and Shetland islands.

Question 8

Keen/Keening (keen) (v.) (n.)

Answer 8

to make a loud sorrowful sound for mourning.
Ex: a keening siren

Question 9

Skosh (sk oh sh) (n.) (adj.)

Answer 9

a small amount or derogatory term for a small soldier in Korean War. Can be used adverbally with -a in front. (ex: down a skosh). Comes from Japanese word sukoshi.
Ex: Price growth slowed a skosh.

Question 10

Grubby (grub ee) (adj.)

Answer 10

grimy, dirty
Ex: the boy’s grubby face

Question 11

Benighted (be night ed) (adj.)

Answer 11

in a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance, typically owing to a lack of opportunity / overtaken by darkness
Ex: A storm developed and we were forced to wait benighted near the summit
Ex: They saw themselves as bringers of culture to poor benighted peoples.

Question 12

Expansively (ex span siv ely) (adv.) (TALK)

Answer 12

If you talk expansively, you happily talk to people in a friendly way
Ex: We talked expansively after dinner.

Question 13

bedizened (be dies end) (v.)

Answer 13

to dress or adorn gaudily
Ex: The elderly actress bedizened herself with makeup and jewelry.

Question 14

dispense (dis pence) (v.)

Answer 14

to get rid of or manage without // to distribute
Ex: Let’s dispense with the formalities, shall we?
Ex: We dispensed food among the needy.

Question 15

solicitous (so liss eh tous) (adj.)

Answer 15

characterized by or showing interest or concern
Ex: She was always solicitous about the welfare of her students.

Question 16

extenuate (ex ten u ate) (v.)

Answer 16

to lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of (something, such as a fault or offense) by making partial excuses : MITIGATE
Ex: There is no economic analysis that can extenuate bigotry.

Question 17

superciliously (super sill ee ous ly)

Answer 17

coolly and patronizingly haughty
Ex: He reacted to their breach of etiquette with a supercilious smile.

Question 18

welter (wel tur) (v.)

Answer 18

to become deeply sunk, soaked, or involved // to rise and fall or toss about in or with waves
Ex: He had been found in the morning weltering in blood.

Question 19

postern (poss turn) (n.)

Answer 19

a back door or gate // a private or side entrance or way
Ex: I passed through the postern.

Question 20

superannuated (super an u ate ed) (adj.)

Answer 20

incapacitated or disqualified for active duty by advanced age // OUTMODED, OLD-FASHIONED
ex: superannuated planes // a superannuated graduate student

Question 21

truculent (truck you lent) (adj.)

Answer 21

aggressively self-assertive : BELLIGERENT // scathingly harsh : VITRIOLIC
ex: truculent criticism
ex: die-hard fans who became truculent and violent after their team’s loss

Question 22

starling (star ling) (n.)

Answer 22

a defensive bulwark, usually built with pilings or bricks, surrounding the supports (or piers) of a bridge or similar construction.
Ex: The starlings of Tower Bridge in London are clearly seen.

Question 23

misgivings (miss givings) (n.)

Answer 23

a feeling of doubt or apprehension about the outcome or consequences of something
Ex: We have misgivings about the way the campaign is being run.

Question 24

Career vs Careen (ka reer, ka reen) (v.)

Answer 24

career is to go wildly at full speed, while careen is to go wildly from side to side.
Ex: The car careered off the cliff.
Ex: The car careened down the street.
(Note: Today, they are mostly interchangeable.)

Question 25

Equanimity (e kwa nim itee) (n.)

Answer 25

mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation Ex: She accepted both the good and the bad with equanimity.

Question 26

Rapine (ra pine) (n.) (LITERARY)

Answer 26

the violent seizure of another’s property Ex: Sanders would be inclined to make excuses for our adversaries and look on the bright side of their repression and rapine.

Question 27

Steal up on (idiom/v.)

Answer 27

to approach someone or something in a quick, sneaky, and furtive manner so as to reach them or it without being noticed. Ex: Someone managed to steal up on Sneaky Pete.

Question 28

Pall (paul) (n.)

Answer 28

a heavy cloth draped over a coffin // a coffin especially when holding a body // something that covers or conceals; especially : an overspreading element that produces an effect of gloom // a feeling of gloom Ex: A pall of thick black smoke // A pall of suspicion

Question 29

Pall (paul) (v.) (LOSS)

Answer 29

to lose strength or effectiveness // to dwindle // to lose in interest or attraction Ex: He found that his retirement hobbies began to pall after a couple of years.

Question 30

Druidic (drew id ic) (adj.)

Answer 30

one of an ancient Celtic priesthood appearing in Irish and Welsh sagas and Christian legends as magicians and wizards Ex: Druidic lore consisted of a large number of verses learned by heart.

Question 31

Gyre (j+eye ur) (n.) (v.)

Answer 31

a giant circular oceanic surface current (n.) // to move in a circle or spiral (v.) Ex: Prevailing winds often push sea ice to the east, where a gyre traps it against land.

Question 32

Sinusoidal (sign you soy dul) (adj.)

Answer 32

shaped like a sine curve or sine wave Ex: The Suns' sinusoidal season continues, as they've now won six out of seven games after a stretch in which they lost nine out of 10.

Question 33

refectory (r fec tor ee) (n.)

Answer 33

a dining hall (as in a monastery or college) Ex: The monastery included a church, refectory, cisterns and cells.

Question 34

remark (re mark) (v.)

Answer 34

to take notice or OBSERVE // to express as an observation or comment Ex: I remarked a new expression on her face.

Question 35

abeyance (a bey ance) (n.)

Answer 35

a state of temporary inactivity : SUSPENSION —used chiefly in the phrase in abeyance // a lapse in succession during which there is no person in whom a title is vested Ex 1: New contracts on all but one existing mine are in abeyance pending the outcome of a government inquiry. Ex 2: an estate in abeyance

Question 36

By dint of (phrase)

Answer 36

by force of : BECAUSE OF Ex: He succeeded by dint of hard work.

Question 37

exordium (ex or de um) (n.)

Answer 37

a beginning or introduction especially to a discourse or composition Ex: It was the grave beginning of a portentous business exordium. ex: in his exordium the author warns his readers

Question 38

indite (in + die + t) (v.)

Answer 38

MAKE UP, COMPOSE // to put down in writing Ex: He indited a poem.

Question 39

cumber (cum bur) (v.)

Answer 39

to hinder or encumber by being in the way // to clutter up Ex: cumbered with heavy clothing Ex: rocks cumbering the yard

Question 40

orthography (or thog ra fee) (n.)

Answer 40

the art of writing words with the proper letters according to standard usage Ex: I know most of the rules of English orthography.

Question 41

caul (call) (n.)

Answer 41

the amniotic membrane enclosing a fetus. // HISTORICAL a woman's close-fitting indoor headdress or hairnet. Ex: Births with a caul are rare, occurring in less than 1 in 80,000 births.

Question 42

impiety (im pie eh tee) (n.)

Answer 42

lack of piety or reverence, especially for a god. Ex: He blamed the fall of the city on the impiety of the people.

Question 43

supposititious (sa pa sa ti shous)

Answer 43

falsely presented as a genuine heir // IMAGINARY // HYPOTHETICAL Ex: The supposititious heir to the throne ex: I entered the world as the supposititious son of a rich lord

Question 44

conveyance (con vey ance) (n.)

Answer 44

the action or process of transporting someone or something from one place to another. Ex: He was building vessels for the conveyance of live cod.

Question 45

simpering (sim purr ing) (adj.)

Answer 45

affectedly coy or ingratiating. Ex: The simpering waiter asked me if I was feeling cold.

Question 46

sport (s port) (v.)

Answer 46

to amuse oneself : FROLIC Ex: Lambs sporting in the meadow.

Question 47

hostler/ostler (hoss lur) (n.)

Answer 47

one who takes care of horses or mules // one who services locomotives Ex: The coach itself was wheeled and backed off by some hostlers.

Question 48

Bruit (brute) (v.) (n.)

Answer 48

REPORT, RUMOR —usually used with about (v.) Ex: Word of his imminent dismissal was bruited about * din, noise (n.) ex: the bruit of a thousand clashing swords

Question 49

efficacious (eff a kay shous) (adj.)

Answer 49

having the power to produce a desired effect Ex: an efficacious remedy

Question 50

interdict (in tur dict) (v.)

Answer 50

to forbid in a usually formal or authoritative manner // to destroy, damage, or cut off (something, such as an enemy line of supply) by firepower to stop or hamper an enemy Ex: I was interdicted by her from touching my brother any more. Ex: Federal agents are able to interdict only a small percentage of the narcotic shipments.

Question 51

Mealy (meal ee) (adj.)

Answer 51

PALLID, BLANCHED // SPOTTY, UNEVEN Ex: a mealy complexion Ex: Cold temperatures kill flavor and cause tomatoes to develop a mealy texture.

Question 52

Peregrinate (pair a grin ate) (v.)

Answer 52

to travel especially on foot : WALK // to walk or travel over : TRAVERSE Ex: He decided to spend the summer peregrinating around Ireland.

Question 53

arcanum (arcana p.) (ar kay numm) (n.)

Answer 53

mysterious or specialized knowledge, language, or information accessible or possessed only by the initiate —usually used in plural Ex: He didn't realize how much the arcana of the business would matter in the move to digital platforms.

Question 54

improvident (im prov ah dent) (adj.)

Answer 54

not provident : not foreseeing and providing for the future Ex: Her improvident habits left her with no retirement savings.

Question 55

abjuration (ab jur ay shun) (n.)

Answer 55

the act or process of renouncing upon oath Ex: She had completed their abjuration by marrying the baker.

Question 56

decry (de cry) (v.)

Answer 56

to depreciate (something, such as a coin) officially or publicly // to express strong disapproval of Ex: The king may at any time decry any coin of the kingdom. Ex: The pastor decried the emphasis on sex.

Question 57

sublimate (sub la mate) (v.)

Answer 57

to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its unacceptable form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable Ex: I sublimated my grief at the death of my mother by throwing myself into my work. Ex: She sublimated her erotic feelings into a series of paintings.

Question 58

Con (con) (v.)

Answer 58

to commit to memory // to study or examine closely ex: She conned the poem. // Clare regarded her attentively, conned the characters of her face as if they had been hieroglyphics.

Question 59

benignant (be nig nant) (adj.)

Answer 59

serenely mild and kindly : BENIGN // FAVORABLE, BENEFICIAL ex: I firmly believe that religion is a benignant force in society.

Question 60

cumbrous (cum brous) (adj.)

Answer 60

CUMBERSOME // PONDEROUS ex: It took two people to haul the cumbrous machine into the garage.

Question 61

prepossession (pre po zes shun) (n.)

Answer 61

an attitude, belief, or impression formed beforehand : PREJUDICE // an exclusive concern with one idea or object : PREOCCUPATION ex: We tried to cure him of his prepossession with money. // The foreign tourists had strange prepossessions about life in the U.S.

Question 62

pecuniary (pe cyun ee ary) (adj.)

Answer 62

consisting of or measured in money // related to money ex: pecuniary needs // pecuniary rewards

Question 63

livery stable (live ur ee stay bull) (n.)

Answer 63

a stable where horses and vehicles are kept for hire and where stabling is provided // called also livery barn ex: He smelled like a livery-stable worker.

Question 64

aboriginal (ab or ig in uhl) (adj.)

Answer 64

being the first or earliest known of its kind present in a region ex: aboriginal forests

Question 65

rawboned (raw bow nd) (adj.)

Answer 65

relatively thin with prominent bone structure also : heavy-framed and rugged but not attractively built Ex: Kirschling, a rawboned young man from Wisconsin, had written a master’s thesis.

Question 66

baize (bays) (n.)

Answer 66

a coarse woolen or cotton fabric napped to imitate felt ex: Also resting face down on the green baize was a corpse.

Question 67

proctor (proc tur) (n.)

Answer 67

someone who oversees student examinations (U.S.) Ex: The primary job of the proctor is to monitor students to ensure they're following testing room rules and not sharing answers.

Question 68

expiate (ex pee ate) (v.)

Answer 68

to make amends for // to extinguish the guilt incurred by Ex: Yom Kippur is the holy day on which Jews are expected to expiate sins committed during the past year.

Question 69

nap (nap) (n.) (v.)

Answer 69

a hairy, fuzzy, or downy surface (as on a fabric) (n.) // to raise a nap on (fabric or leather) (v.) ex: After the nap is trimmed, the fabric is considered finished.

Question 70

prerogative (pur og a tive) (n.)

Answer 70

an exclusive or special right, power, or privilege: such as one belonging to an office or an official body ex: It's a writer's prerogative to decide the fate of her characters.

Question 71

perfidy (per fe dee) (n.)

Answer 71

the quality or state of being faithless or disloyal : TREACHERY ex: His wife's perfidy was a moment of uncharacteristic weakness.

Question 72

sybarite (sib a rite) (n.)

Answer 72

capitalized : a native or resident of the ancient city of Sybaris, known for its lavishness // a person who is self-indulgent in their fondness for sensuous luxury. ex: Nadia was a sybarite who tipped over into genuine addiction.

Question 73

irremediable (ir·​re·​me·​di·​a·​ble) (adj.)

Answer 73

not remediable // not curable ex: an irremediable error

Question 74

abstruse (ab stroos) (adj.) (FORMAL)

Answer 74

difficult to comprehend : RECONDITE ex: the abstruse calculations of mathematicians

Question 75

sedulous (sed joo lus) (adj.)

Answer 75

involving or accomplished with careful perseverance // diligent in application or pursuit ex: Manchin has been a sedulous supporter of the fossil fuel industry.

Question 76

recondite (reck an dite) (adj.)

Answer 76

difficult or impossible for one of ordinary understanding or knowledge to comprehend : DEEP // OBSCURE knowledge ex: a recondite subject // A recondite fact about the origin of the holiday

Question 77

sinecure (sign na cure) (n.)

Answer 77

an office or position that requires little or no work and that usually provides an income ex: Rather than give him a sinecure, Netanyahu named him the national-security minister.

Question 78

galvanic (gal van ic) (adj.)

Answer 78

having an electric effect : intensely exciting // producing a direct current of electricity ex: a galvanic cell // a galvanic performance

Question 79

seraphic (sir af ic) (adj.)

Answer 79

of or relating to seraphim // suggestive of or resembling a seraphim or angel : ANGELIC ex: thinking of her calm seraphic eyes

Question 80

rhapsodical (rap sod eh cal) (adj.)

Answer 80

extravagantly emotional : RAPTUROUS // from rhapsody -- a portion of an epic poem adapted for recitation ex: Joel Link’s stylishly rhapsodic playing of the concerto-like first violin part was the icing on the cake.

Question 81

amanuensis (aman·​yoo•en·​sis) (n.)

Answer 81

one employed to write from dictation or to copy manuscript ex: composed her autobiography with the help of an amanuensis

Question 82

graminivorous (gram ah niv or ous) (adj.)

Answer 82

feeding on grass (grain) or the seeds of grass ex: Cows are a graminivorous animal.

Question 83

pertinaciously (per tin ay shous ly) (adv.)

Answer 83

stubbornly tenacious ex: A pertinacious little boy who was determined to catch and collect reptiles

Question 84

enjoin (in join) (v.)

Answer 84

to direct or impose by authoritative order or with urgent admonition // FORBID, PROHIBIT ex: He enjoined us to be careful.

Question 85

munificence/munificent (mew nif eh cent) (adj.)

Answer 85

very liberal in giving or bestowing ex: munificent donors // I'm the object of your munificence.

Question 86

repine (re pine) (v.)

Answer 86

to feel or express dejection or discontent : COMPLAIN ex: There is no use repining over a love that's been long lost.

Question 87

pathos (pa thos) (n.)

Answer 87

an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion // an emotion of sympathetic pity Ex: Our knowledge of his tragic end adds an element of pathos to the story of his early success.

Question 88

deponent (de pohn ent) (n.)

Answer 88

one who gives evidence ex: As all deponents are instructed, Mr. Ryan was directed not to guess, assume or speculate in his deposition.

Question 89

peroration (pair or aye shun) (n.)

Answer 89

the concluding part of a discourse and especially an oration // a highly rhetorical speech ex: He proceeded to the peroration of his letter.

Question 90

inanition (in an ish un) (n.)

Answer 90

the quality or state of being empty: a: the exhausted condition that results from lack of food and water b: the absence or loss of social, moral, or intellectual vitality or vigor ex: America, which is entertaining itself to inanition, has never experienced a scarcity of entertainment.

Question 91

chasten (chay son) (v.)

Answer 91

to correct by punishment or suffering : DISCIPLINE ex: The results may chasten some of the investors. to cause to be more humble or restrained : SUBDUE ex: He was chastened by his team's defeat.

Question 92

delusive (de loo sive) (adj.)

Answer 92

likely to delude // constituting a delusion ex: a delusive promise // a delusive belief I harbored a delusive belief he would love me.

Question 93

Volition (vo lish un) (n.)

Answer 93

the power of choosing or determining : WILL // an act of making a choice or decision ex: He brings tourists to the wharf out of his own volition.

Question 94

chattel (chat tul) (n.)

Answer 94

an item of tangible movable or immovable property except real estate and things (such as buildings) connected with real property // an enslaved person held as the legal property of another ex: Mr. Peggotty and myself will protect our goods and chattels.

Question 95

insalubrity (in sal you bra tee) (n.)

Answer 95

not conducive to health : UNWHOLESOME ex: a neighboring street, of time-honored insalubrity and inconvenience, was being drained and widened

Question 96

short shrift (n.)

Answer 96

little or no attention or consideration ex: He gave the problem short shrift.

Question 97

curry (cur ree) (v.)

Answer 97

to clean the coat of (an animal, such as a horse) with a currycomb ex: Rand curried her with a pair of brushes.

Question 98

scud (s cud) (v.)

Answer 98

to move or run swiftly especially as if driven forward // to run before a gale ex: The clouds scudded across the sky.

Question 99

lothario (lo thar ee o) (n.)

Answer 99

a man who behaves selfishly and irresponsibly in his sexual relationships with women. Ex: They were seduced by a handsome Lothario.

Question 100

melange (meh lan g) (n.)

Answer 100

a mixture often of incongruous elements ex: a mélange of architectural styles