Weekly - 6 Flashcards
salutary
/ˈsalyəˌterē/
adj.
(especially with reference to something unwelcome or unpleasant) producing good effects; beneficial.
- [archaic] health-giving.
curtail
v.
reduce in extent or quantity; impose a restriction on.
- [archaic] deprive someone of (something).
steppe
n.
a large area of flat unforested grassland in southeastern Europe or Siberia.
nom de guerre
n.
an assumed name under which a person engages in combat or some other activity or enterprise.
gadfly
n.
a fly that bites livestock, especially a horsefly, warble fly, or botfly.
- an annoying person, especially one who provokes others into action by criticism.
völkisch
/ˈfəlkiSH,ˈfœl-/
adj.
(of a person or ideology) populist or nationalist, and typically racist.
maven
n.
[informal | North American] an expert or connoisseur.
fulminate
v.
- express vehement protest.
- [literary] explode violently or flash like lightning.
n.
[chemistry] a salt or ester of fulminic acid.
retinue
n.
a group of advisers, assistants, or others accompanying an important person.
expropriate
v.
(especially of the state) take away (property) from its owner.
- dispossess (someone) of property.
autocrat
n.
a ruler who has absolute power.
- someone who insists on complete obedience from others; an imperious or domineering person.
aide-de-camp
n.
a military officer acting as a confidential assistant to a senior officer.
graduated
adj.
arranged in a series or according to a scale.
- (of an instrument or container) marked with units of measurement.
tankard
n.
a tall beer mug, typically made of silver or pewter, with a handle and sometimes a hinged lid.
- the contents of or an amount held by a tankard.
thalassic
adj.
relating to the sea.
rillettes
n.
pâté made of minced pork or other light meat, seasoned and combined with fat.
terroir
n.
the complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate.
- the characteristic taste and flavor imparted to a wine by the environment in which it is produced.
blackguard
/ˈblaɡərd,ˈblaˌɡärd/
n.
a man who behaves in a dishonourable or contemptible way.
v.
abuse or disparage (someone) scurrilously.
huckster
n.
a person who sells small items, either door-to-door or from a stall or small store.
- a mercenary person eager to make a profit out of anything.
- [North American] a publicity agent or advertising copywriter, especially for radio or television.
v.
promote or sell (something, typically a product of questionable value).
- bargain; haggle.
oleaginous
/ˌōlēˈajənəs/
adj.
- rich in, covered with, or producing oil; oily or greasy.
- exaggeratedly and distastefully complimentary; obsequious.
cadge
v.
ask for or obtain (something to which one is not strictly entitled).
n.
[falconry] a padded wooden frame on which hooded hawks are carried to the field.
phrase:
“on the cadge” - [informal] looking for an opportunity to obtain something without paying for it.
appellation
/äpeläˈsyôn/
n.
an appellation contrôlée.
- a wine bearing an appellation contrôlée.
- the district in which a wine bearing an appellation contrôlée is produced.
appellation contrôlée
/äpeläˌsyôn ˌkäntrôˈlā/
n.
a description awarded to French wine guaranteeing that it was produced in the region specified, using vines and production methods which satisfy the regulating body.
gratin
n.
a dish with a light browned crust of breadcrumbs or melted cheese.
