Vocabulary Set 9 (24.05.14) Flashcards
rifle (righ full) (v.)
- to ransack especially with the intent to steal
- to steal and carry away
ex: I rifled his corpse, finding a light purse and a Covenant medallion.
plight (ply t) (v.)
- to put or give in pledge : ENGAGE
ex: plight his troth
[Troth – ARCHAIC*FORMAL
faith or loyalty when pledged in a solemn agreement or undertaking.
“a token of troth”]
declaim (d clay m) (v.)
- to speak rhetorically
ex: speakers declaimed on a variety of issues - to speak pompously or bombastically : HARANGUE
ex: In presence of this historical fact, it is foolish to declaim about natural rights.
palaver (pa lah vir) (v.) (n.)
- a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication
ex: a palaver between foreign ministers - CONFERENCE, DISCUSSION
ex: a palaver between union leaders - idle talk
ex: Cut the palaver and get down to business. - misleading or beguiling speech
ex: Don’t get taken in by the candidate’s palaver. - to talk profusely or idly // parley (V.)
knuckle one’s forehead (action)
- to salute by touching two knuckles to the forehead
ex: I once knuckled my forehead to those born of privilege.
bailey (bail lee) (n.)
- the outer wall of a castle or any of several walls surrounding the keep
- a courtyard within the external wall or between two outer walls of a castle
ex: The cart halted in front of the outer bailey.
balladeer (bal la deer) (n.)
- a person who sings ballads
ex: His attempts at wooing maidens fell short of a balladeer’s ideal.
terminus (ter min us) (n.)
- either end of a transportation line or travel route
also : the station, town, or city at such a place : TERMINAL - an extreme point or element : TIP
ex: the terminus of a glacier - a final goal : a finishing point
ex: I dotted the terminus of the final line.
sibilant (sib ah lent) (adj.)
having, containing, or producing the sound of or a sound resembling that of the s or the sh in sash
ex: a sibilant hiss
ex: The buzz has a sizzling or sibilant quality.
effluent (eff loo ent) (n.)
something that flows out: such as
a
: an outflowing branch of a main stream or lake
b
: waste material (such as smoke, liquid industrial refuse, or sewage) discharged into the environment especially when serving as a pollutant
ex: The stink of effluent flowed down the river.
(un)expurgated (un ex per gate ed) (adj.)
not having potentially offensive or otherwise objectionable parts removed : not expurgated
ex: an unexpurgated edition
flux (fluh ux) (n.)
- a flowing of fluid from the body: such as DIARRHEA, DYSENTERY
- a continuous moving on or passing by (as of a stream)
- a continued flow : FLOOD
ex: a flux of words - INFLUX // CHANGE, FLUCTUATION
ex: in a state of flux
ex: the flux following the death of the emperor.
dolorous (dol luh rus) (adj.)
- causing, marked by, or expressing misery or grief
ex: He spoke in his dolorous accent of broad vowels and soft sibilants.
ex: dolorous ballads of death and regret
sop (sahp) (n.)
- chiefly dialectal : a piece of food dipped or steeped in a liquid
- a conciliatory or propitiatory bribe, gift, or gesture
ex: We employed it as a sop to Sihlda’s sensibilities.
acclamation (ack la may shun) (n.)
- a loud eager expression of approval, praise, or assent
- an overwhelming affirmative vote by cheers, shouts, or applause rather than by ballot
ex: She has earned worldwide acclamation for her charitable works.
grizzle (grizz uhl) (v.)
- GRIPE, GRUMBLE
- to become, make grayish
ex: He always grizzles that the weather is bad.
ex: Age comes to grizzle and wrinkle us all, my boy.
insensate (in sin sate) (adj.)
- lacking sense or understanding, foolish // lacking animate awareness or sensation
- lacking humane feeling : BRUTAL
ex: An insensate boss who refuses to allow time off for funerals.
propitiate (pro prish ee ate) (v.)
propitiatory (pro prish ee a tor ee) (adj.)
to gain or regain the favor or goodwill of : APPEASE
ex: The U.S. has sought to propitiate the regime in Tehran.
auspices (awss piss is) (n.)
- (auspices - plural) kindly patronage and guidance
ex: doing research under the auspices of the local historical society - a prophetic sign // especially : a favorable sign
ex: The teacher’s smile was an auspice I would get an A.
goodly (good lee) (adj.)
- pleasantly attractive (archaic)
- significantly large : CONSIDERABLE
ex: Her family owned a goodly portion of the best land in Alberis.
convocation (con vuh cay shun) (n.)
A large formal assembly of people for a special purpose, mostly ecclesiastical or academic.
ex: Crown and Covenant joined in humble convocation.
fractiousness (frack shus ness) (n.)
- tending to be troublesome : UNRULY
ex: a fractious crowd - QUARRELSOME, IRRITABLE
ex: a fractious political campaign
urbane (ur bay n) (adj.)
- courteous and refined in manner (typically used of a man).
ex: The supposedly urbane, restrained English gentleman.
outmoded (out mow did) (adj.)
- not being in style
- no longer acceptable, current, or usable
ex: outmoded customs
beggar (beg gir) (v.)
- to reduce to poverty or the practice of asking for charity
ex: Wealthy folk have beggared themselves searching for it. - to exceed the resources or abilities of : DEFY
ex: beggars description // so outrageous as to beggar belief
jape (jay p) (n.) (v.)
- to say or do something jokingly or mockingly (v.)
ex: Oscar Wilde’s characters jape with an unnatural readiness. - something designed to arouse amusement or laughter (n.)
ex: Who was to say his mercy wasn’t some sadistic jape?
calumny (cal um nee) (n.)
- a misrepresentation intended to harm another’s reputation
ex: He denounced his opponent for his calumny.
odium (o dee um) (n.)
- general or widespread hatred or disgust directed toward someone as a result of their actions.
ex: Time did nothing to diminish the odium in which the traitor lived.
ardency (are din cee) (n.)
the quality or state of being ardent (eager zeal and support)
ex: Her previous ardency had been a mere candle to this flame.
beauteous (b you tee us) (adj.)
- beautiful (Chiefly Literary)
ex: an unusually beauteous blonde woman
burr (bur) (v.) (n.)
If someone has a burr, they speak English with a regional accent in which ‘r’ sounds are pronounced more strongly than in the standard British way of speaking
ex: Din Faud’s southern burr returned.
yen (yen) (n.)
- a strong desire or propensity
ex: a yen for the sea - also : URGE, CRAVING
ex: a yen for ice cream
cant (cant) (n.)
- expression, repetition of conventional, trite opinions, sentiments
especially : the insincere use of pious words
ex: the cant of hypocrites - the private language of the underworld
ex: the cant of thieves - affected singsong or whining speech
ex: a beggar’s cant
flense (flen ssuh) (v.)
- to strip of blubber or skin
ex: flense a whale
prevail (pre vayl) (v.)
- to gain ascendancy through strength or superiority : TRIUMPH
- to use persuasion successfully
ex: I prevailed on (or upon) him to sing. - to be frequent : PREDOMINATE // PERSIST
ex: the west winds that prevail in the mountains
ex: a custom that still prevails
misbegotten (mis be got ten) (adj.)
- dated: unlawfully conceived / born to parents not married
ex: a misbegotten child - having a disreputable or improper origin : ill-conceived
ex: antiquated and misbegotten tax laws - CONTEMPTIBLE
ex: a misbegotten scoundrel - DEFORMED
ex: The door a misbegotten pine.
inchoate (inn co it) (adj.)
- being only partly in existence or operation : INCIPIENT
especially : imperfectly formed or formulated : FORMLESS, INCOHERENT
ex: I have inchoate suspicions that all is not well with the nation.
novitiate (no vish it) (n.)
- the period or state of being a novice
- a houses where novices are trained
- a novice, especially in a religious order.
ex: He was one of the novitiates who had flocked to her banner.
conurbation con ner bay shun) (n.)
an aggregation or continuous network of urban communities
ex: Like the far smaller conurbation of Callintor, the sanctuary city was splendid.
drover (drove ur) (n.)
- one who drives cattle or sheep
ex: Lancashire heelers are drovers, meaning they have been used to herd cattle and other livestock.