Week #7 Flashcards
Define
Implacable
(im plakˊə bəl)
Cannot be pacified, inexorable
The detective was implacable in his search for the
murder weapon.
Define
Paroxysm
(parˊək rāˊsiz əm)
A fit, sudden outburst
In a paroxysm of rage, the tenant stormed out of the
landlord’s office.
Define
Reprehensible
(repˊri henˊ sə bəl)
Worthy of blame
The brash student was forced to apologize for his
reprehensible behavior.
Define
Jurisdiction
(jürˊis dikˊshən)
Power, range of authority
Saying that it was beyond his jurisdiction, Judge Klein
refused to rule on the case.
Define
Skirmish
(skerˊmish)
Small fight, brief encounter
The precocious boy enjoyed an intellectual skirmish
with his elders.
Define
Cause Célèbre
A famous law case or controversy
It was a minor dispute, but the ambitious lawyer
sought to turn it into a cause célèbre.
Define
Harass
(harˊəs or hə rəsˊ)
To trouble, torment
If anonymous telpnone callers harass you, the phone
company will give you an unlisted number.
Define
Monolithic
(monˊə lithˊik)
Massively solid
George Orwell’s 1984 depicts a frightening monolithic
government.
Define
Indigent
(inˊdə jənt)
Poor, needy
The indigent client was surprised when she was
accosted by her social worker in the elegant
restaurant.
Define
Arbitrary
(ärˊbə trerˊi)
Based on a whim, dictatorial
To my mind the decision was unreasonable and
arbitrary.
Define
Fray
(frā)
A fight
After the fray, the feuding families agreed to patch up their differences.
Define
One Swallow Does Not Make A Summer
Don’t jump to conclusions based on
incomplete evidence
”Sure, the Yankees won their opening game, but one swallow does not make a summer.”
Define
Stymie
(stīˊme)
To hinder, impede
”cause of cancer continues to stymie doctors”
Define
Effigy
(efˊə ji)
A likeness (usually of a hated person)
”coach of losing team hanged in effigy”
Define
Flout
(flout)
Scoff, show contempt
-”many motorists flout traffic laws, study reveals”
Define
Cognizant
(kogˊnə zənt)
Aware
”F.B.I. cognizant of clandestine gangland meeting”
Define
Turbulent
(tėrˊ bū lənt)
Unruly, agitated
”Turbulent atmosphere in angry sentate chamber”
Define
A Bitter Pill To Swallow
A humiliating defeat
It is a bitter pill for the famous billiard player to be
overwhelmed by the 12-year-old girl.
Define
Terminate
(tėrˊmə nāt)
To end
It seemed incongruous to terminate his employment
just when he was so successful.
Define
Forthwith
(fôrthˊwithˊ)
Immediately
Upon seeing the show, he called the T.V. studio forthwith to protest.
Define
Exacerbate
(eg zasˊər bāt)
Make worse, to irritate
The arrest of the spy did much to exacerbate
relations between the two conuntries.
Define
Revert
(ri vėtˊ)
Return
After taking the drug, she began to revert to the days of her childhood.
Define
Oust
(oust)
To drive out, eject
The ushers moved with alacrity to oust the disorderly
patrons.
Define
An Ax To Grind
Having a selfish motive in the background
I am always dubious about the motives of a man who tells me that he has no ax to grind.
