Word List 13 Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

apostrophe

A

appeal to someone not present (a figure of speech)

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

emollient

A

softening

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

fusillade

A

long burst of gunfire

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

mince

A

walk with tiny steps; speak in an affected manner

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

palpate

A

medical term meaning to examine with the hands

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

platitude

A

unoriginal, obvious saying

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

quibble

A

to play on words when finding fault; a minor verbal point in argument

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

derision

A

mockery

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

epigram

A

short, witty saying

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

lassitude

A

lack of energy; weariness

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

pedantic

A

over-insistent on matters of book-learning

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

phenomenology

A

branch of science concerned with things as they are perceived; not directly derived from theory

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

precipitate

A

hurried; insoluble product of a reaction in chemistry; to instigate or speed up in action

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

armada

A

fleet of ships

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

dawdler

A

slow person who falls behind others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

dross

A

something worthless; impurities left after refining

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

expiate

A

atone; make amends for

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

hack

A

person who writes to earn money; hired horse

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

prone

A

horizontal

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

propensity

A

tendency, inclination

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

scabbard

A

cover for a sword

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

skiff

A

small boat

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

umbrage

A

shadow; offence; sense of injury

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

dilettantism

A

dabbling (esp. in the arts)

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

enervate

A

weaken

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

malevolent

A

having evil intentions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

neophyte

A

new convert; tyro

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

panegyric

A

speech praising someone; laudatory words

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

presage

A

forewarn of; indicate

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

serration

A

jagged edge

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

slight

A

perceived insult

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

tare

A

a noxious weed

33
Q

unprepossessing

A

unattractive

34
Q

aberration

A

deviation from the normal

35
Q

cant

A

insincere talk

36
Q

disinter

A

dig up

37
Q

lacuna

A

gap; missing part

38
Q

monolithic

A

united in purpose; forming a single unit

39
Q

pied

A

multicolored

40
Q

seemly

A

appropriate (of behavior); decorous

41
Q

analogue

A

something similar; output proportional to input (in engineering)

42
Q

coda

A

piece of music at the end of musical work; finale; final part of document

43
Q

commingle

A

mix

44
Q

equivocal

A

ambiguous; open to interpretation

45
Q

hallow

A

respect; worthy

46
Q

indigence

A

poverty

47
Q

pique

A

annoyance; to stimulate interest; to annoy

48
Q

sap

A

to undermine; a fool

49
Q

arbitrator

A

mediator; person appointed to judge a dispute

50
Q

descry

A

to see; catch sight of

51
Q

facetious

A

not intended to be taken seriously

52
Q

indecorous

A

unseemly; inappropriate behavior

53
Q

scotch

A

to prevent; stop; disable

54
Q

strut

A

supporting rod

55
Q

usury

A

lending money at high interest rates

56
Q

wag

A

a witty person

57
Q

atavism

A

reappearance of ancestral traits; regression

58
Q

filibuster

A

delaying tactics

59
Q

gambit

A

opening move; transaction

60
Q

mitigation

A

making less severe

61
Q

obligate

A

compulsory

62
Q

predilection

A

leaning; interest; talent

63
Q

propitiate

A

appease; try to gain favor

64
Q

stanch

A

to stop

65
Q

travesty

A

parody; ridiculous error

66
Q

lumber

A

walk in an ungainly way

67
Q

prescience

A

foreknowledge

68
Q

ready

A

quick (used of wit)

69
Q

squalid

A

dirty and demeaning

70
Q

sullied

A

made dirty or impure

71
Q

veneration

A

worship; respect

72
Q

demur

A

object; hesitate to accept

73
Q

exigency

A

urgent matter; pressing need

74
Q

expostulate

A

offer strong objections; remonstrate

75
Q

gossamer

A

delicate; filmy; like gauze

76
Q

inefficacious

A

ineffective

77
Q

prudish

A

narrow-minded

78
Q

quixotic

A

impractically idealistic

79
Q

stipple

A

cover with dots of paint