Week 11 Flashcards
Boon
Noun
A gift or blessing ( the good weather has been a boon for many businesses located near the beach.)
Abridge
Verb
To cut down, shorten (the publisher thought the dictionary was too long and abridged it.)
Canvas
Noun & Verb
1) A piece of cloth on which an artist paints (Picasso liked to work on canvas rather than on bare cement.) 2)
To cover, inspect (we canvassed the neighborhood looking for clues.)
Deft
Adjective
Skillful, capable (having worked in a bakery for many years, Marcus was a deft bread maker.)
Elegy
Noun
A speech given in honor of a dead person (at the funeral, the window gave a moving elegy describing her love for her husband.)
Fidelity
Noun
Loyalty, devotion (guard dogs are known for the great fidelity they show toward their masters.)
Gratuitous
Adjective
Uncalled for, unwarranted (every morning the guy at the donut shop gives me a gratuitous helping of ketchup packets.)
Implacable
Adjective
Incapable of being appeased or mitigated (watch out: once you shun grandma’s cooking, she is totally implacable.)
Lithe
Adjective
Graceful, flexible, supple (although the dancers were all outstanding, Jae Sun’s control of her lithe body was particularly impressive.)
Medley
Noun
A mixture of differing things (verna’s wardrobe contained an astonishing medley of colors, from olive green to florescent pink.)
Nondescript
Adjective
Lacking a distinctive character (I was surprised when I saw the movie star person because she looked nondescript.)
Paragon
Noun
A model of excellence or perfection (the mythical Helen of Troy was considered a paragon of female beauty.)
Rebuke
Verb
To scold, criticize (when the cops showed up at Sarah’s party, they rebuked her for disturbing the peace.)
Salient
Adjective
Significant, conspicuous (one of the salient differences between Alison and Nancy is that Alison is a foot taller.)
Tantamount
Adjective
Equivalent in value or significance (when it comes to sports, fearing your opponent is tantamount to losing.)