Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

English Vocabulary > Vocabulary Set 8 (24.02.15) > Flashcards

Vocabulary Set 8 (24.02.15) Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Proverbs and Idioms flashcards Vocab Builder flashcards
1
Q

plaintively (plain tiv lee) (adv.)

A

expressive of suffering or woe : MELANCHOLY
ex: ‘I’ve been brave,’ I said plaintively, like a child being accused.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

solarium (so lair ee um) (n.)

A

a glass-enclosed porch or room
also : a room (as in a hospital) used especially for sunbathing or therapeutic exposure to light
ex: We were having lunch in the solarium.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

wanton (one ten) (adj./n./v.)

A
  • MERCILESS, INHUMANE
    ex: wanton cruelty
  • having no just foundation or provocation : MALICIOUS
    ex: a wanton attack
  • being without check or limitation: such as
    a
    : unduly lavish : EXTRAVAGANT
    ex: wanton imagination
    b
    : luxuriantly rank
    ex: wanton vegetation
  • LEWD, BAWDY
    causing sexual excitement : LUSTFUL, SENSUAL
  • playfully mean or cruel : MISCHIEVOUS
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

poky (po kee) (adj.)

A

small and cramped // SHABBY, DULL // annoyingly slow
ex: I can only stay at home and knit, like a poky old woman!

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

flyaway (fly away) (adj.)

A

loose, flowing especially because of unconfined fullness at the back
ex: a flyaway jacket
of hair : very thin and light : difficult to keep tidy
ex: Her hair was the blond flyaway variety.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

snood (s noo d) (n.) (v.)

A

*a net or fabric bag pinned or tied on at the back of a woman’s head for holding the hair
* to secure with a snood
ex: Chanel snood and earrings.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

carnelian (car neal yon) (n.)

A

a brownish-red mineral commonly used as a semiprecious stone. Similar to carnelian is sard, which is generally harder and darker; the difference is not rigidly defined, and the two names are often used interchangeably.
ex: Susie came to school today with a lovely red carnelian ring.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

beatitude (be adda tude) (n.)

A
  • pure bliss
    ex: Not from earthly riches but from the milk of human kindness comes true beatitude
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

lapsus linguae (lap sus leen gwi) (n.)

A

(FORMAL) slip of the tongue
ex: The Duke’s latest pronouncement was quite the lapsus linguae.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

blowzy (bl oww zzz) (adj.)

A

having a sloppy or unkempt appearance or aspect : FROWSY
being coarse and ruddy of complexion
ex: said Mrs. March, drawing the blowzy head to her shoulder

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

tetchy (tet chee) (adj.)

A

irritably or peevishly sensitive : TOUCHY

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

might and main (idiom)

A

with might and main : VIGOROUSLY
ex: Any sage practical politician would strive might and main to avoid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

comme il faut (come ill foe) (adj.)

A

conforming to accepted standards : PROPER
ex: Among the upper crust, it would not have been comme il faut.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

warm the cockles of your heart (phrase)

A

to give someone warm and happy feelings.
ex: It is a story with a happy ending to warm the cockles of your heart.
(ventricles, named by some in Latin as “cochleae cordis”, from “cochlea” (snail)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

weathercock (n.)

A
  • a person or thing that changes readily or often
    ex: Laurie is too much of a weathercock.
  • a vane often in the figure of a cock mounted so as to turn freely with the wind and show its direction
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

bildungsroman (bill doongs ro maan) (n.)

A

a novel dealing with one person’s formative years or spiritual education.
ex: The book is a bildungsroman of sorts, as Tull overcomes his abused childhood and learns about love.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

disapprobation (dis app pro bay shun) (n.)

A

the act or state of disapproving : the state of being disapproved : CONDEMNATION
ex: Her face was an expression of entire disapprobation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

propitiate (pro pish ee ate) (v.)

A

to gain or regain the favor or goodwill of : APPEASE
ex: Since 1979, the United States has sought to contain or propitiate the regime in Tehran.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

dolefully (dole full ee) (adj.)

A

full of grief // expressing grief
ex: a doleful face // a doleful melody

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

in high dudgeon (in high dud gin) (idiom)

A

feeling and usually showing that one is angry or offended
ex: She walked out of the meeting in high dudgeon.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

coquetry (co ka tree) (n.)

A

a flirtatious act or attitude
ex: The new boss put a stop to the banter and coquetry in the office.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

august (aw gust) (adj.)

A

marked by majestic dignity or grandeur
ex: her august lineage // an august mansion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

dandify (dan duh figh) (v.)

A

to cause to resemble a dandy
ex: We watched the boat races among crowds of dandified men.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

capacious (ka pay shus) (adj.)

A

containing or capable of containing a great deal
ex: The museum’s capacious rooms.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

outre (oo tre) (adj.)

A

violating convention or propriety : BIZARRE // unusual and startling
ex: His art is a bit too outré for most people to enjoy.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

roustabout (rau st a bout) (n.)

A
  • a person with no permanent home or regular occupation
    also : one who stirs up trouble
  • DECKHAND // LONGSHOREMAN
  • an unskilled or semiskilled laborer especially in an oil field or refinery
    ex: sought work as a roustabout on the city’s seedy waterfront
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

putrescent (pew treh scent) (adj.)

A

undergoing putrefaction : becoming putrid // undergoing the process of decay; rotting.
ex: the odor of putrescent flesh

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

piece de resistance (peace day re zist tonce) (n.)

A
  • the chief dish of a meal
  • an outstanding item or event : SHOWPIECE
    ex: The pièce de résistance of the whole concert was when the two bands came onstage to perform together.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

longshoreman (long shore man) (n.)

A

a person who loads and unloads ships at a seaport
ex: Franco’s began serving burgers to longshoremen and sailors.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

dish pit (dish pit) (n.)

A

The dishwashing area in a restaurant.
ex: The dishwasher didn’t show up, so I spent my whole shift in the dish pit.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

agrestal (ah gres tul) (adj.)

A

dwelling or growing wild in the fields : WILD
ex: The seaweed formed a thick mane of agrestal fur.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

ichor (eye core) (n.)

A
  • a thin watery or blood-tinged discharge
  • an ethereal fluid taking the place of blood in the veins of the ancient Greek gods
    ex: With sweat and ichor spewing everywhere, referee Harvey Dock stopped the fight.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

coiffure (kwa ff your) (n.)

A

hairdo // a style or manner of arranging the hair
ex: I love his eerily perfect coiffure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

filial (phil ee uhl) (adj.)

A

*of, relating to, or befitting a son or daughter
ex: filial obedience // filial love
* having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring
ex: The new village has a filial relationship with the original settlement.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

osteal (ah steal) (adj.)

A

of, relating to, or resembling bone
also : affecting or involving bone or the skeleton
ex: The skeletal remains were piled up like osteal ant hills.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

espouse (eh spouse) (v.)

A

to take up and support as a cause : become attached to
ex: The new theory has been espoused by many leading physicists.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

standish (stan dish) (n.)

A

a stand for holding pens, ink, and other writing equipment.
ex: Primary simple inkwells were referred to as standishes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

QED (LATIN Phrase)

A

[Latin quod erat demonstrandum] which was to be demonstrated
ex: I told you it would rain today! See, the weather app said there was a 90% chance of showers. QED.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

pinafores (pin a four) (n.)

A

a sleeveless garment worn as an apron. Pinafores may be worn as a decorative garment or as a protective apron. A related term is pinafore dress, i.e. a sleeveless dress intended to be worn over a top or blouse

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

nom deh plume (nom da ploom) (n.)
noms deh plume (noms da ploom) (PLURAL)

A

French for pen name
ex: He wrote under a nom de plume.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

loquacity (low kwa ceh tee) (n.)

A

the quality or state of being very talkative
ex: His loquacity is less bounded, his stories meander without necessarily reaching their conclusion.

42
Q

rusty (ruh stee) (adj)

A

dulled in color or appearance by age and use
ex: rusty old boots

43
Q

meerschaum pipe (meer shhum) (n.)

A

a tobacco pipe of meerschaum (German for sea foam to refer to Sepiolite – a soft white clay-like mineral – oft found floating on the sea)

44
Q

tête-à-tête (teta tet) (n.)

A

a private conversation between two persons
ex: But truly do not feel any pressure to have that tete-a-tete anytime soon.

45
Q

debonair (deb oh nair) (adj.)

A

SUAVE, URBANE
LIGHTHEARTED, NONCHALANT
ex: a debonair performer

46
Q

disport (dis port) (v.)

A

DIVERT, AMUSE // DISPLAY
to amuse oneself in light or lively fashion : FROLIC
ex: They disported themselves with silly games.

47
Q

abnegation (ab neh gay shun) (n.)

A
  • self-denial
  • surrender, relinquish
    ex: Monks practice abnegation of the material aspects of life.
48
Q

equipage (eh kwip eg) (n.)

A

material or articles used in equipment : OUTFIT //
a horse-drawn carriage with its servants
ex: And the reality is that the airlines don’t have the equipage.

49
Q

fastidious (fa sid ee us) (adj.)

A
  • characterized by a meticulous, sensitive, or demanding attitude
    ex: True to her fastidious nature, Peretti selected all of the stones.
  • of a person’s work, approach, etc. : extremely or excessively careful or detailed
    ex: He took fastidious care of his cars.
50
Q

blarney (blarr nee) (adj.)

A

skillful flattery : BLANDISHMENT (something that coaxs or cajoles)
NONSENSE, HUMBUG (something designed to mislead)
ex: She was charmed by his blarney.

51
Q

philoprogenitiveness (phil oh pro gen eh tive ness) (n.)

A

tending to produce offspring : PROLIFIC
of, relating to, or characterized by love of offspring
ex: This counterfeit philoprogenitiveness sits uneasily upon them.

52
Q

preceptor (pre cep tore) (n.)

A
  • TEACHER, TUTOR
  • the headmaster or principal of a school
  • a teacher responsible for upholding a precept, meaning a certain law or tradition.
    ex: A preceptor at a small English boarding school
53
Q

weal (wheel) (n.)

A

a sound, healthy, or prosperous state : WELL-BEING
ex: Four women, taught by weal and woe
To love and labor in their prime.

54
Q

inhume (in hue m) (v.)

A

BURY, INTER
ex: There were so many dead it was impossible to inhume them all.

55
Q

tribology (tri bol o gee) (n.)

A

Tribology is the science and engineering of understanding friction, lubrication and wear phenomena for interacting surfaces in relative motion.

56
Q

sash window (n.)

A

A sash window consists of two framed window sashes – one positioned in front of the other.

57
Q

importune (im pour tune) (v.)

A
  • to press or urge with troublesome persistence // Annoy // Bother
  • to beg, urge, or solicit persistently or troublesomely
    ex: He stood on the street corner, importuning passersby for help.
58
Q

cleat (clee t) (n.)

A

a T-shaped piece of metal or wood, especially on a boat or ship, to which ropes are attached.
ex: Hurry and secure the mooring line to the cleat before the current pulls us away from the dock!

59
Q

accretion (a cree shun) (n.)
accrete (a cree t) (v.)

A

a product of accretion // process of growth by a gradual buildup
especially : an extraneous addition
ex: accretions of grime
ex: Silt accreting at the mouth of the river over time.

60
Q

violaceous (vye oh lay shus) (adj.)

A

of a violet color
ex: The fruiting body is pink or violaceous.

61
Q

vim (vim) (n.)

A

robust energy and enthusiasm
ex: All too often their inferior opponents have awakened bright-eyed-bushy-tailed, and so full of vim and vinegar, breakfast can be skipped.

62
Q

florid (floor id) (adj.)

A
  • very flowery in style : ORNATE
    ex: florid prose
  • tinged with red : RUDDY
    ex: a florid complexion
  • fully developed : manifesting a complete and typical clinical syndrome
    ex: the florid stage of a disease
63
Q

crump (crum p) (v.) (n.)

A
  • CRUNCH // to explode heavily (v.)
    ex: one aerial bomb failed to crump as it landed
  • a crunching sound // SHELL, BOMB (n.)
    ex: the distant crump of an explosion
64
Q

aver (a vir) (v.)

A
  • to declare positively
    ex: Mr. Murray avers that many large organizations in the private sector are run by curmudgeons like him.
65
Q

mundanity (muhn dan eh tee) (n.)

A

characterized by the practical, transitory, and ordinary : COMMONPLACE
ex: Her great gift is for presenting the mundanity of ordinary life with wry detachment.

66
Q

anomie (anne oh me) (n.)

A

social instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values
ex: The reforms of a ruined economy brought about social anomie.

67
Q

anechoic (ana co ick) (adj.)

A

free from echoes and reverberations
ex: an anechoic chamber

68
Q

feculent (fec u lent) (adj.)

A

foul with impurities : FECAL // filthy, scummy, muddy, or foul
ex: a feculent odor of the breath

69
Q

jink (g nk) (n.) (v.)

A

*to move quickly or unexpectedly with sudden turns and shifts (as in dodging) (v.)
ex: He leapt and jinked around the debris of centuries.
* an evasive action (n.)
NOTE: JINKS – pranks

70
Q

carbuncle (car bunk uhl) (n.)

A

a carbuncle is a cluster of boils that form a connected area of infection under the skin
ex: It loomed like a carbuncle over the lesser, older buildings.

71
Q

fretwork (fret work) (n.)

A

ornamental design in wood, typically openwork, done with a fretsaw
ex: The walnut fretwork screens in the entry are fitted with glass panels treated with gold and copper leaf.

72
Q

shrive (sh rive) (v.)

A
  • (of a priest) to listen to someone’s confession about what they have done wrong, and offer forgiveness:
  • to free from guilt
    ex: On Shrove Tuesday, everyone was summoned to church to be shriven before the start of Lent the following day, Ash Wednesday.
73
Q

man jack (n.)

A
  • an individual man (INFORMAL)
    ex: every man jack
74
Q

interleave (in turr lee v) (v.)

A
  • to arrange in or as if in alternate layers
  • place something between the layers of (something).
    ex: Pasta interleaved with strips of zucchini and carrot”
75
Q

nip (nip) (v.) (n.)

A
  • a sharp stinging cold
    ex: a nip in the air
  • a biting or pungent flavor : TANG
  • the act of nipping : PINCH, BITE
  • a small quantity of liquor : SIP
    also : a very small bottle of liquor
    ex: They shared a nip of spirits.
  • to move swiftly or briskly
    ex: He nipped in and punched me.
  • to defeat by a small margin
    ex: They nipped our team by a buzzer-beater.
76
Q

anecdotage (anik doe te gg)

A
  • garrulous old age
    ex: Biden was warned by his aides not to wallow in his anecdotage.
    anecdotes collectively.
    ex: A number of reports cannot be dismissed as anecdotage.
77
Q

discommode (dis ka mode) (v.) (FORMAL)

A
  • cause (someone) trouble or inconvenience.
    ex: I am sorry to have discommoded you.
78
Q

brachiate (bray kee ate) (v.)
brachiation (bray kee aye shun) (n.)
brachiator (bray kee ay tor) (n.)

A
  • to progress by swinging from hold to hold by the arms
    ex: a brachiating gibbon
79
Q

roister (roy ster) (v.)

A
  • enjoy oneself or celebrate in a noisy or boisterous way.
    ex: Workers from the refinery roistered in the bars.
80
Q

mattock (mad dick) (n.)

A

a digging and grubbing tool with features of an adze and an ax or pick
adze (adds) – a cutting tool that has a thin arched blade set at right angles to the handle and is used chiefly for shaping wood

81
Q

importune (im purr tune) (v.)

A

*harass (someone) persistently for or to do something.
ex: Reporters importuned him with pointed questions.
* Approach (someone) to request or offer sexual services, especially as a prostitute.
ex: The girl is charged with loitering in a public place with intent to solicit or importune another person.

82
Q

Patrimony (pat rah mo nee) (n.)

A
  • an estate inherited from one’s father or ancestor
    ex: The patrimony was divided every time.
  • an estate or endowment belonging by ancient right to a church
    ex: canon law … aims at conserving the patrimony of the diocese (jurisdiction of a bishop)
83
Q

folkways (folk ways) (n.)

A

mode of thinking, feeling, acting common to a given group of people
especially : a traditional social custom
ex: The Chinese would assimilate to American laws and folkways.

84
Q

anthropoid (an throw poy d) (n.)

A
  • any of a suborder of higher primates (such as macaques and marmosets)
    especially : APE
  • a person resembling an ape
    ex: The question of where this first anthropoid was born has remained open.
85
Q

aphorism (af or ism) (n.)

A
  • a pithy phrase that contains an accepted truth
    ex: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
86
Q

kith (kith) (n.)

A

familiar friends, neighbors, or relatives
ex: kith and kin

87
Q

enteric (in tare ick) (adj.)

A

relating to or occurring in the intestines.
ex: The complexity of the enteric nervous system…
ex: I had enteric fever.

88
Q

gravid (gra vid) (adj.)

A
  • PREGNANT
    ex: gravid mares
  • distended with or full of eggs
    ex: a gravid fish
89
Q

tarn (tarn) (n.)

A
  • a small steep-banked mountain lake or pool
    ex: Pass Grant Lake, a deep blue tarn nestled in the sagebrush.
90
Q

hoick (hoy k) (v.)

A

to move or pull abruptly : YANK
ex: He was hoicked out of my job.
ex: He hoicked some mud out of an ear.

91
Q

investiture (in vest teh ture) (n.)

A
  • the action of formally investing a person with honors or rank.
    ex: the investiture of bishops
  • a ceremony at which honors or rank are formally conferred on a particular person.
92
Q

ex officio (ex a fish ee oo) (adj./adv.)

A

An ex officio member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office
ex: The Vice President serves ex officio as president of the Senate.

93
Q

ersatz (air saht zz) (adj.)

A

being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation
ex: ersatz turf
ex: ersatz intellectuals
ex: like everything else the restaurant served, the whipped cream on the dessert was ersatz

94
Q

piquant (pee kent) (adj.)

A
  • having a pleasantly sharp taste or appetizing flavor.
    ex: a piquant tartare sauce
  • pleasantly stimulating or exciting to the mind.
95
Q

vouchsafe (vouch safe) (v.)

A
  • give or grant (something) to (someone) in a gracious or condescending manner.
    ex: It is a blessing vouchsafed him by heaven
  • reveal or disclose (information).
    ex: You’d never vouchsafed that interesting tidbit before.
96
Q

concomitant (con com ah tant) (adj.)

A
  • naturally accompanying or associated.
    ex: She loved travel, with all its concomitant worries.
    ex: Some of us look on pain and illness as concomitants of the stresses of living.
97
Q

churl (ch url) (n.)

A
  • a medieval peasant
  • RUSTIC, COUNTRYMAN
  • a rude ill-bred person
  • a stingy morose person
    ex: Scrooge is a churl, not in station but in manner.
98
Q

invective (in vec tive) (n.)

A
  • insulting or abusive language : VITUPERATION
  • an abusive expression or speech
    ex: He hurled invective at the driver who cut them off in traffic.
99
Q

arch (are ch) (adj.)

A
  • PRINCIPAL, CHIEF
    ex: an arch enemy
  • MISCHIEVOUS, SAUCY //marked by a deliberate and often forced playfulness, irony, or impudence
    ex: He was known for her arch comments.
100
Q

divine (dah vine) (v.)

A
  • to discover by intuition or insight : INFER
    ex: I divined the truth.

English Vocabulary (10 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions