Word List 16

Question 1

flatcar

Answer 1

a railroad freight car without permanent raised sides, ends, or covering

Question 2

flatten

Answer 2

to knock down; also, to defeat decisively

e.g. The team got flattened in the first round of the play-offs.

Question 3

flax

Answer 3

a plant that has blue flowers and that is grown for its fiber and its seed
the fiber of the flax plant

Question 4

fledge

Answer 4

(of a young bird) to acquire the feathers necessary for flight or independent activity; also, to leave the nest after acquiring such feathers

Question 5

molt

Answer 5

to shed hair, feathers, shell, horns, or an outer layer periodically

e.g. A crab molts its shell as it grows larger.
Snakes molt as they grow, shedding the old skin and growing a large new skin.

Question 6

fledgling

Answer 6

a young bird just fledged
an immature or inexperienced person
one that is new

e.g. At hockey he’s still a fledgling and needs to work on his basic skating skills.
a fledgling company

Question 7

perennial

Answer 7

present at all seasons of the year
persistent, enduring
continuing without interruption; constant, perpetual
regularly repeated or renewed; recurrent

e.g. perennial favorites
the perennial quest for certainty
Flooding is a perennial problem for people living by the river.

Question 8

inflect

Answer 8

to turn from a direct line or course; curve
to vary (a word) by inflection; decline, conjugate
to affect or alter noticeably; influence

e.g. Most adjectives in English do not inflect for gender or number.
an approach inflected by feminism

Question 9

flint

Answer 9

a massive hard dark quartz that produces a spark when struck by steel

e.g. the flint in a cigarette lighter

Question 10

flip

Answer 10

not serious; flippant, impertinent

e.g. made some flip comments about the marriage between the old man and the considerably younger woman

Question 11

flit

Answer 11

to pass quickly or abruptly from one place or condition to another
to move in an erratic fluttering manner

e.g. butterflies flitting around the garden
She was always flitting around the kitchen.

Question 12

floodgate

Answer 12

a gate for shutting out, admitting, or releasing a body of water; sluice
something serving to restrain an outburst

e.g. opened the floodgates of criticism

Question 13

florid

Answer 13

very flowery in style; ornate
tinged with red; ruddy
marked by emotional or sexual fervor
fully developed; manifesting a complete and typical clinical syndrome

e.g. gave a florid speech in honor of queen’s visit
a florid complexion
a florid secret life / a florid sensibility
the florid stage of a disease

Question 14

flounder

Answer 14

flatfish
to struggle to move or obtain footing; thrash about wildly
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually

e.g. He was floundering around in the pool like an amateur.

Question 15

flout

Answer 15

to treat with contemptuous disregard; scorn

e.g. Despite repeated warnings, they have continued to flout the law.

Question 16

fluffy

Answer 16

covered with or resembling fluff
being light and soft or airy; puffed up
lacking in meaning or substance; superficial

e.g. a fluffy omelet

Question 17

fluke

Answer 17

an accidentally successful stroke at billiards or pool
a stroke of luck

e.g. The discovery was a fluke.

Question 18

fluster

Answer 18

to make tipsy
to put into a state of agitated confusion; upset
also

e.g. The interruption flustered the speaker.
Some speakers fluster more easily than others.
There was a palpable fluster in the audience when I asked my awkward question.

Question 19

flutter

Answer 19

to flap wings rapidly
to move with quick wavering or flapping motions; to vibrate in irregular spasms
to move about or behave in an agitated aimless manner
also

e.g. butterflies fluttering in the garden
The flutter of the flame cast shadows on the ceiling.
He was in a flutter until he found his keys.

Question 20

fluvial

Answer 20

of, relating to, or living in a stream or river
produced by the action of a stream

e.g. a fluvial plain

Question 21

flux

Answer 21

a continued flow
change, fluctuation

e.g. January typically brings a great flux of returns to department stores.
in a state of flux

Question 22

foible

Answer 22

a minor flaw or shortcoming in character or behavior; weakness

e.g. admired their teacher despite his foibles

Question 23

foil

Answer 23

to prevent from attaining an end; defeat
to bring to naught; thwart
someone or something that serves as a contrast to another
a light fencing sword

e.g. always able to foil her enemies
foiled the plot
acted as a foil for a comedian

Question 24

fold

Answer 24

an enclosure for sheep
a flock of sheep; a group of people or institutions that share a common faith, belief, activity, or enthusiasm

e.g. He’s performing a ritual to be accepted into the fold.

Question 25

folly

Answer 25

lack of good sense or normal prudence and foresight
criminally or tragically foolish actions or conducts
a foolish act or idea

e.g. the folly of driving fast on steep, winding roads
The folly of such an action should be apparent to everyone.

Question 26

foment

Answer 26

to promote the growth or development of; rouse, incite

e.g. foment a rebellion

Question 27

fop

Answer 27

a man who is devoted to or vain about his appearance or dress; coxcomb, dandy

Question 28

forage

Answer 28

food for animals especially when taken by browsing or grazing
ravage, raid
to make a search; rummage

e.g. He had to forage for firewood.

Question 29

forbearance

Answer 29

a refraining from the enforcement of something (as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due
the act of forbearing; patience
the quality of being forbearing; leniency

e.g. We thank for your forbearance while we attend to the technical difficulties interrupting the TV program.

Question 30

forbear

Answer 30

to hold oneself back from especially with an effort
hold back, abstain

e.g. He carefully forbore any mention of her name for fear of upsetting them.
We decided to forbear (from) provoking him any further.

Question 31

forbidding

Answer 31

such as to make approach or passage difficult or impossible
disagreeable, repellent
grim, menacing

e.g. a harsh and forbidding landscape
a dark, forbidding house, that is reputed to be haunted

Question 32

ford

Answer 32

a shallow part of a body of water that may be crossed by wading
 to cross (a body of water) by wading

e.g. didn’t attempt getting the horses across the stream until we had reached the ford

Question 33

forebode

Answer 33

to have an inward conviction of (as coming ill or misfortune)
foretell, portend

e.g. That police car parked outside the house doesn’t forebode well.

Question 34

bodement

Answer 34

omen
something that is predicted; forecast

e.g. the continuing fascination with the obscure bodements of the 16th-century astrologer Nostradamus

Question 35

foreknow

Answer 35

to have previous knowledge of; know beforehand especially by paranormal means or by revelation

e.g. What couple could possibly foreknow the trials and tribulations that marriage will bring?

Question 36

forerunner

Answer 36

one that precedes and indicates the approach of another
predecessor, ancestor

e.g. a simple machine that was the forerunner of today’s computers
I had that strange feeling that’s the forerunner of a cold.

Question 37

forestall

Answer 37

to prevent the normal trading in by buying or diverting goods or by persuading persons to raise prices
to exclude, hinder, or prevent by prior occupation or measures
to get ahead of; anticipate

e.g. Negotiations failed to forestall the conflict.
He forestalled critics by offering a defense of the project.

Question 38

forestry

Answer 38

forestland
the science of developing, caring for, or cultivating forests
the management of growing timber

Question 39

forfeit

Answer 39

something forfeited or subject to being forfeited; penalty
forfeiture especially of civil rights
something deposited (as for making a mistake in a game) and then redeemed on payment of a fine
to lose or lose the right to especially by some error, offense, or crime
to subject to confiscation as a forfeit; also, abandon, give up

e.g. The forfeit for each baseball player involved in the brawl was $5000.
He forfeited his right to a trial by jury.

Question 40

forgo

Answer 40

to give up the enjoyment or advantage of; do without

e.g. She is planning to forgo her right to a trial and simply plead guilty.

Question 41

formidable

Answer 41

causing fear, dread, or apprehension
having qualities that discourage approach or attack
tending to inspire awe or wonder; impressive

e.g. The mountains were a formidable barrier.
He has mastered a formidable amount of material.

Question 42

forsake

Answer 42

to renounce or turn away from entirely

e.g. Forsaking most of our possessions, we evacuated just before the hurricane struck.
forsook the theater for politics

Question 43

forthright

Answer 43

free from ambiguity or evasiveness; going straight to the point
notably simple in style or quality

e.g. She sometimes was a little too forthright for her own good and ended up saying things that inadvertently offended people.
forthright explanation of the situation

Question 44

furtive

Answer 44

done in stealth; surreptitious
expressive of stealth; sly
obtained underhandedly; stolen

e.g. He cast a furtive glance in our direction.
We exchanged furtive smiles across the table.

Question 45

vitiate

Answer 45

to make faulty or defective; impair
to debase in moral or aesthetic status
to make ineffective

e.g. The impact of the film was vitiated by poor acting.
believed that luxury vitiates even the most principled person

Question 46

fortitude

Answer 46

strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage

e.g. It was only with greatest fortitude that the Pilgrims were able to survive their first winter in Plymouth.

Question 47

fortuitous

Answer 47

occurring by chance
fortunate, lucky
coming or happening by a lucky chance

e.g. From a cost standpoint, the company’s timing is fortuitous.
could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time

Question 48

fosse

Answer 48

a deep, wide ditch that is usually filled with water and that goes around the walls of a place (such as a castle) to protect it from being attacked; ditch, moat

e.g. The first like of defense is a water-filled fosse that enemy troops would have to cross.

Question 49

fossilize

Answer 49

to convert into a fossil
to make outmoded, rigid, or fixed

e.g. The mud helped to preserve and fossilize the wood.

Question 50

stymie

Answer 50

to present an obstacle to; stand in the way of

Question 51

founder

Answer 51

to become disabled; especially, to go lame
to give away; collapse
to become submerged; sink
to come to grief; fail

e.g. Her career foundered, and she moved from job to job for several years.
trying to save a foundering career

Question 52

four-poster

Answer 52

a bed with tall often carved corner posts originally designed to support curtains or a canopy

Question 53

foyer

Answer 53

an anteroom or lobby especially of a theater; also, an entrance hallway; vestibule

e.g. Theatergoers crowded the foyer during the play’s intermission.

Question 54

fracas

Answer 54

a noisy quarrel; brawl

e.g. The police broke up the fracas in the bar and threw both combatants in the lockup.

Question 55

fractious

Answer 55

tending to be troublesome; unruly
quarrelsome, irritable

e.g. a fractious crowd

Question 56

noisome

Answer 56

noxious, harmful
offensive to senses and especially to the sense of smell
highly obnoxious or objectionable

e.g. It’s no fun having asthma and living in an area with noisome smog.
a noisome remark about my weight that stuck with me for days

Question 57

frantic

Answer 57

emotionally out of control
marked by fast and nervous, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity

e.g. They made a frantic search for the missing child.
frantic with fear

Question 58

fraudulent

Answer 58

characterized by, based on, or done by fraud; deceitful

e.g. the victim of a fraudulent scheme

Question 59

fraught

Answer 59

full of or accompanied by something specified (used with with)
causing or characterized by emotional distress or tension; uneasy

e.g. Every room in my childhood home is fraught with memories.
had a fraught meeting with his estranged wife to discuss a divorce settlememt

Question 60

idyll

Answer 60

a narrative poem
a lighthearted carefree episode that is a fit subject for an idyll

e.g. Her year as a vineyard worker in the south of France was not the idyll that she had expected it to be.

Question 61

freelancer

Answer 61

a person who acts independently without being affiliated with or authorized by an organization
a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer

Question 62

freight

Answer 62

cost
goods to be shipped; cargo; also, load, burden
meaning, significance
the ordinary transportation of goods; a train for such
also

e.g. trains that carry both passengers and freight
The order was shipped by freight.
It took six hours to freight the cargo airplane.

Question 63

frenetic

Answer 63

frenzied, frantic

e.g. the frenetic rush to get every member of the cast in place before the curtain went up

Question 64

frenzy

Answer 64

a temporary madness; a violent mental or emotional agitation
intense usually wild and often disorderly compulsive or agitated activity
also

e.g. a shopping frenzy
In its frenzy to flee the danger, the crowd became uncontrollable, and a number of people were trampled to death.
local football fans who were frenzied by the fact that their team was going to the Super Bowl

Question 65

fresco

Answer 65

the art of painting on freshly spread moist lime plaster with water-based pigments
a painting executed in fresco

Question 66

friable

Answer 66

easily crumbled or pulverized

e.g. friable soil

Question 67

frieze

Answer 67

a sculptured or richly ornamented band (as on a building or piece of furniture)
a band, line, or series suggesting a frieze

e.g. A constant frieze of visitors wound its way around the ruins.

Question 68

frigid

Answer 68

intensely cold; lacking warmth or ardor, indifferent
lacking imaginative qualities; insipid
abnormally averse to sexual intercourse

e.g. The frigid gusts of wind stung their faces.
She was born into an emotionally frigid family.

Question 69

frigorific

Answer 69

causing cold; chilling

Question 70

torrid

Answer 70

parched with heat especially of the sun; hot
giving off intense heat; scorching
ardent, passionate

e.g. the dry, torrid summers
The team had a torrid time trying to score.
torrid love letters

Question 71

fringe

Answer 71

edge, periphery (oft. used in pl.)
one of various light or dark bands produced by the interference or diffraction of light
something that is marginal, additional, or secondary to some activity, process, or subject

e.g. operated on the fringes of the law
a fringe sport

Question 72

frisky

Answer 72

inclined to frisk; playful
lively

e.g. The kids were frisky after all that candy
a frisky performance

Question 73

frivolous

Answer 73

of little weight or importance
having no sound basis (as in fact or law)
lacking in seriousness; marked by unbecoming levity

e.g. a frivolous lawsuit
She thinks window shopping is a frivolous activity.

Question 74

frond

Answer 74

a large leaf (especially of a palm or fern) usually with many divisions

Question 75

frothy

Answer 75

foamy
gaily frivolous or light in content or treatment; insubstantial
made of light thin material

e.g. a frothy dessert made of whipped egg whites and fruit puree
a frothy comedy that wouldn’t exert the brain of a gnat

Question 76

frugal

Answer 76

characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources

e.g. By being frugal, the family is able to stretch its monthly budget.
a frugal meal of bread and cheese

Question 77

fruition

Answer 77

pleasurable use or possession; enjoyment
the state of bearing fruit
realization

e.g. When she landed the lead in a Broadway play, a lifelong dream was brought to fruition.

Question 78

fulcrum

Answer 78

prop; especially, the support about which a lever turns
one that supplies capability for action
a part of an animal that serves as a hinge or support

Question 79

full-blown

Answer 79

fully mature; full-fledged
possessing or exhibiting all the usual or necessary features or symptoms

e.g. A general philosophy, if not a full-blown ideology, is emerging.

Question 80

full-bodied

Answer 80

having a large body
(of a beverage) imparting to the palate the general impression of substantial weight and rich texture
having importance, significance, or meaningfulness

e.g. full-bodied study of literature

Question 81

full-fledged

Answer 81

fully developed; total, complete
having attained complete status
full-blown

e.g. a full-fledged biography
full-fledged lawyer
a full-fledged reunion

Question 82

fulminate

Answer 82

to utter or send out with denunciation

e.g. She was fulminating about the dangers of smoking.
The editorial fulminated against the proposed tax increase.

Question 83

fulsome

Answer 83

characterized by abundance; copious
generous in amount, extent, or spirit
being full and well developed
aesthetically, morally, or generally offensive
exceeding the bounds of good taste; overdone
excessively complimentary or flattering; effusive

e.g. grateful survivors who were fulsome in their praise of the rescue team
The player’s fulsome praise for the coach showed just how hard he was trying to be named captain of the team.
the fulsome chromium glitter of the escalators dominating the central hall

Question 84

fumble

Answer 84

to make awkward attempts to do or find something
to search by trial and error
blunder
to feel one’s way or move awkwardly

e.g. She fumbled in her pocket for her keys.
They fumbled a good opportunity to take control of the market.

Question 85

fumigate

Answer 85

to apply smoke, vapor, or gas to especially for the purpose of disinfecting or of destroying pests

e.g. We had to fumigate our apartment to get rid of the ants.

Question 86

functionary

Answer 86

one who serves in a certain function
one holding office in a government or political party

e.g. spoke to high-ranking functionaries at the embassy in the hopes that they could help

Question 87

fungicide

Answer 87

an agent that destroys fungi or inhibits their growth

Question 88

furor

Answer 88

an angry or maniacal fit; rage
a fashionable craze; vogue
fury, uproar

e.g. The book caused a furor across the country.
Amid a public furor, the senator continues to deny the allegations.

Question 89

furrow

Answer 89

a trench in the earth made by a plow
a plowed field
a marked narrow depression; groove
a deep wrinkle
also 

e.g. When he frowns, a deep furrow forms in his brow.
We had to furrow the field before we could plant the wheat.

Question 90

fusillade

Answer 90

a number of shots fired simultaneously or in rapid succession
something that gives the effect of a fusillade
a spirited outburst especially of criticism

e.g. responded calmly to the fusillade of criticism leveled at his design for the memorial.

Question 91

fuss

Answer 91

needless bustle or excitement
a show of flattering attention
a state of agitation especially over a trivial matter

e.g. They got down to business without any fuss.
Her new novel has caused quite a fuss.

Question 92

fussy

Answer 92

easily upset; irritable
overly decorative
requiring or giving close attention to details
revealing a sometimes extreme concern for niceties; fastidious, picky

e.g. a fussy wallpaper design
fussy bookkeeping procedures
not fussy about where we eat

Question 93

fusty

Answer 93

saturated with dust and stale odors; musty
rigidly old-fashioned or reactionary

e.g. couldn’t stay too long in the fusty attic without sneezing

Question 94

futile

Answer 94

serving no useful purpose; completely ineffective
occupied with trifles; frivolous

e.g. futile efforts to convince him
a futile and foolish gesture

Question 95

gadfly

Answer 95

any of various flies that bite or annoy livestock
a person who stimulates or annoys especially by persistent criticism

e.g. a loud sports commentator who was a tactless gadfly during post-game interviews with the losing team

Question 96

gaffe

Answer 96

a social or diplomatic blunder
a noticeable mistake

e.g. She realized that she had committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl.

Question 97

gaggle

Answer 97

flock; especially, a flock of geese when not in flight
a group, aggregation, or cluster lacking organization
an indefinite number

e.g. a gaggle of reporters and photographers
participated in a gaggle of petty crimes

Question 98

gainsay

Answer 98

to declare to be untrue or invalid
contradict, oppose

e.g. They repeated tried to gainsay me, though every point I made was backed up by facts.
It can’t be gainsaid that most people wish they had more time and money.

Question 99

gait

Answer 99

a manner of walking or moving on foot
a manner or rate of movement or progress

e.g. He has an awkward gait.
the leisurely gait of summer

Question 100

gall

Answer 100

bile; something bitter to endure; bitterness of spirit
brazen boldness coupled with impudent assurance and insolence
to fret and wear away by friction; chafe
irritate, vex

e.g. It galls me that such a small group of people can have so much power.
Move that rope so the sharp edge of the hull doesn’t gall it.

Question 101

gallant

Answer 101

a young man of fashion 
ladies' man
 showing in dress or bearing; smart
splendid, stately
spirited, brave; nobly chivalrous and often self-sacrificing

e.g. The defenders of the fort made a gallant stand.
He greeted her with a gallant bow.

Question 102

galley

Answer 102

the kitchen of a ship or airplane

a long, low ship that was moved by oars and sails, used in ancient times by the Egyptians, Greeks, and others

Question 103

galvanize

Answer 103

to stimulate or excite by or as if by an electric shock
to coat (iron or steel) with zinc 

e.g. The group is hoping to galvanize public opinion against the proposed law.
a website galvanizing support for the project

Question 104

lull

Answer 104

to cause to sleep or rest; soothe
to cause to relax vigilance

e.g. The absence of attacks for such an extended period had lulled the nation into a false sense of security.

Question 105

gambol

Answer 105

to skip about in play; frisk, frolic
also

e.g. lambs gamboling in the meadow
She and her old college roommate headed off for one final European gambol before returning to the States to start their separate careers.

Question 106

plod

Answer 106

to work laboriously and monotonously; drudge
to walk heavily or slowly; trudge
to proceed slowly or tediously

e.g. We plodded through mud that came up past our ankles.

Question 107

gangway

Answer 107

passageway; especially, a temporary way of planks

a movable bridge used in boarding or leaving a ship at a pier; gangplank

Question 108

gape

Answer 108

to open or part widely
to gaze stupidly or in openmouthed surprise or wonder
yawn

e.g. Holes gaped in the pavement.
She suddenly realized she had been gaping at the good-looking waiter instead of giving him her order.

Question 109

garble

Answer 109

to sift impurities from
to so alter or distort as to create a wrong impression or change the meaning

e.g. The candidate complained that his views had been deliberately garbled by his opponent.
Garbled spices are less likely to contaminate a recipe.

Question 110

gardenia

Answer 110

a large white or yellowish flower that has a pleasant smell

Question 111

gargantuan

Answer 111

tremendous in size, volume, or degree; gigantic, colossal

e.g. gargantuan waterfalls
People seem to be buying ever more gargantuan SUVs these days.