Word List 15 Flashcards

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1
Q

Disputatious (adj)

A

argumentative; fond of arguing
Convinced he knew more than his lawyers, Tony was a disputatious client, ready to argue about the best way to conduct the case

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2
Q

Disquietude (n)

A

uneasiness; anxiety

When Holmes had been gone for a day, Watson felt only a slight sense of disquietude

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3
Q

Disquisition (n)

A

a formal systematic inquiry

In his disquisition, he outlined the steps he had taken in reaching his conclusions

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4
Q

Dissident (adj)

A

dissenting; rebellious

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5
Q

Dissimulate (v)

A

pretend; conceal by feigning

Although the governor tried to dissimulate his feelings about the opposing candidate, we all knew he despised his rival

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6
Q

Dissonance (n)

A

discord; opposite of harmony
Composer Charles Ives often used dissonance - clashing or unresolved chords - for special effects in his musical works
(dissonant adj)

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7
Q

Distend (v)

A

expand; swell out

I can tell when he is under stress in the way the veins on his forehead distend

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8
Q

Diurnal (adj)

A

daily

A farmer cannot neglect his diurnal tasks at any time; cows, for example, must be milked regularly

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9
Q

Divulge (v)

A

reveal

No lover of gossip, Charlotte would never divulge anything that a friend told her in confidence

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10
Q

Doctrinaire (adj)

A

unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding
Weng had hoped that the student-led democracy movement might bring about change in China, but the repressive response of the doctrinaire hard-liners crushed his dreams of democracy

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11
Q

Doctrinaire (adj)

A

unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding
Weng had hoped that the student-led democracy movement might bring about change in China, but the repressive response of the doctrinaire hard-liners crushed his dreams of democracy

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12
Q

Dogmatic (adj)

A

opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal

We tried to discourage Doug from being so dogmatic; but never could convince him that his opinions might be wrong

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13
Q

Doleful (adj)

A

mournful; causing sadness
Eyesore, the lugubrious donkey immortalised by A.A Milne, looked at his cheerful friend Tigger and sighed out a doleful sigh

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14
Q

Domicile (n)

A

home

Although his legal domicile was in NYC, his work kept him away from home for many years

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15
Q

Domineer (v)

A

rule over tyrannically

Students prefer teachers who guide, not ones who domineer

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16
Q

Dossier (n)

A

file of documents on a subject

Ordered by J. Edgar Hoover to investigate the senator, the FBI compiled a complete dossier on him

17
Q

Dotage (n)

A

senility

In his dotage, the old man bored us with long tales of events in his childhood

18
Q

Dote (v)

A

be excessively fond of, show signs of mental decline
Not only grandmothers bore you with stories about their brilliant grandchildren; grandfathers dote on the little rascals too

19
Q

Dour (adj)

A

sullen; severe; gloomy
The Protestant missionaries who settled on Tahiti in the early nineteenth century were followers of a dour and cheerless creed, who routinely dressed in black and never let themselves forget for a moment the awful burden of the sins of the world

20
Q

Dowdy (adj)

A

slovenly; untidy

She tired to change he dowdy image by buying a fashionable new wardrobe

21
Q

Drab (adj)

A

dull; lacking colour; cheerless

The Dutch woman’s drab winter coat contrasted with the distinctive, colourful native costume she wrote beneath it

22
Q

Draconian (adj)

A

extremely severe

23
Q

Dregs (n)

A

sediment; worthless residue

David poured the wine carefully to avoid stirring up the dregs

24
Q

Drivel (n)

A

nonsense; foolishness

Why do i have to spend my time listening to such idiotic drivel?

25
Q

Droll (adj)

A

queer and amusing

He was a popular guest because his droll anecdotes were always entertaining

26
Q

Drone (n)

A

talk dully; idle person, buzz or murmur like a bee

27
Q

Drudgery (n)

A

menial work

Cinderella’s fairy godmother rescued her from a life of drudgery