Word List 18 Flashcards

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1
Q

hack

A

to cut or sever with repeated irregular or unskillful blows; to cut or shape by or as if by crude or ruthless strokes
annoy, vex (usually used with off)
a person who works solely for mercenary reasons; hireling; a writer who works on order; also, a writer who aims solely for commercial success

e.g. hacking out new election districts

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2
Q

hackneyed

A

lacking ion freshness or originality

e.g. hackneyed slogans

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3
Q

halcyon

A

of or relating to the halcyon or its nesting period

calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent

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4
Q

hale

A

free from defect, disease, or infirmity; sound
retaining exceptional health and vigor

e.g. a hale and hearty old man

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5
Q

halfhearted

A

lacking heart, spirit, or interest

e.g. He made a halfhearted attempt to contact them.

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6
Q

hallmark

A

a mark or device laced or stamped on an article of trade to indicate origin, purity, or genuineness
a distinguishing characteristic, trait, or feature

e.g. the dramatic flourishes which are the hallmark of the trial lawyer

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7
Q

hallow

A

to make holy or set apart for holy use

to respect greatly; venerate

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8
Q

halting

A

marked by a lack of sureness or effectiveness

e.g. Progress in the negotiations has been halting.

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9
Q

hamper

A

to restrict the movement of by bonds or obstacles; impede
to interfere with the operation of; disrupt
curb, restrain
to interfere with; encumber

e.g. The project was hampered by budget restraints.

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10
Q

hangar

A

shelter, shed; especially, a covered and usually enclosed area for housing and repairing aircraft

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11
Q

hangdog

A

sad dejected
sheepish

e.g. a hangdog expression

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12
Q

hanker

A

to have a strong or persistent desire; yearn (often used with for or after)

e.g. By the middle of the winter, they were hankering for a warm day.

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13
Q

haphazard

A

marked by lack of plan, order, or direction

e.g. a haphazard tour of the city
Considering the haphazard way you measured the ingredients, it’s a wonder the cookies came out this good.

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14
Q

harangue

A

a speech addressed to a public assembly
a ranting speech or writing
lecture
also

e.g. He delivered a long harangue about the evils of popular culture.
The eminent professor harangued for three hours on his favorite subject.

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15
Q

harbinger

A

one that pioneers in or initiates a major change; precursor
one that presages or foreshadows what is to come
also

e.g. Her father’s successful job interview was seen as a harbinger of better times to come.
the hope that the housing slump does not harbinger a general economic depression

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16
Q

hardheaded

A

stubborn, willful
concerned with or involving practical considerations; sober, realistic

e.g. some hardheaded advice

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17
Q

hardy

A

bold, brave; audacious, brazen
inure to fatigue or hardship; robust
capable of withstanding adverse conditions

e.g. Hardy fans stuck with the team through good times and bad.
hardy outdoor furniture

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18
Q

harness

A

the gear other than a yoke of a draft animal; gear, equipment, especially military equipment
occupational surroundings or routine; close association
to put harness on
utilize

e.g. a parachute harness
get back into harness after a vacation
ability to work in harness with others
Engineers are finding new ways to harness the sun’s energy to heat homes.

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19
Q

harp

A

to dwell on or recur to a subject tiresomely or monotonously (usually used with on)

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20
Q

harpsichord

A

a stringed instrument resembling a grand piano but usually having two keyboards and two or more strings for each note and producing tones by the plucking or strings with plectra

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21
Q

harridan

A

an ill-tempered scolding woman; shrew

e.g. If you were married to that harridan, you, too, would take to drink.

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22
Q

harrow

A

torment, vex

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23
Q

harry

A

to make a pillaging or destructive raid on; assault
to force to move along by harassing
to torment by or as if by constant attack

e.g. harrying the terrified horses down out of the mountains

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24
Q

hasten

A

to move or act quickly
to urge on; accelerate

e.g. hasten the activation of yeast with heat
hasten the coming of a new order

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25
Q

hatch

A

a small door or opening (as in an airplane or spaceship)
to bring into being; originate, especially to concoct in secret

e.g. an escape hatch
hatch a plot

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26
Q

haughty

A

blatantly and disdainfully proud

e.g. He rejected their offer with a tone of haughty disdain.

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27
Q

hauteur

A

arrogance, haughtiness

e.g. She looked at him with the hauteur of someone who is accustomed to being instantly obeyed.

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28
Q

haven

A

harbor, port
a place of safety; refuge
a place offering favorable opportunities or conditions

e.g. a haven for artists
The national park provides a safe haven for wildlife.

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29
Q

havoc

A

wide and general destruction; devastation
great confusion and disorder

e.g. The disease can play havoc with the body’s immune system.
The blackout caused havoc in the city.

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30
Q

headlong

A
headfirst 
without deliberation; recklessly
without pause or delay
 lacking in calmness or restraint; precipitate 
plunging headfirst

e.g. plunged headlong into the crowd in pursuit of the purse snatcher
terrified forest creatures in a headlong retreat from the rapidly spread fire

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31
Q

headstrong

A

not easily restrained; impatient of control, advice, or suggestions
directed by ungovernable will

e.g. a headstrong businessman
violent headstrong actions

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32
Q

headway

A

motion or rate of motion in a forward direction
advance, progress

e.g. The ant was making little headway carrying a crumb that was about five times its size.

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33
Q

hearken

A

listen
to give respect attention

e.g. Hearken! I hear the distant beat of the hooves of many horses.
hearken to his words of wisdom

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34
Q

hearten

A

to give heart to; cheer

e.g. heartened by the victory

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35
Q

heartrending

A

heartbreaking

e.g. a heartrending choice between saving his daughter or his son

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36
Q

heavy-handed

A

clumsy
oppressive, harsh

e.g. the government’s most heavy-handed efforts to muzzle social protest

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37
Q

heckle

A

to harass and try to disconcert with questions, challenges, or gibes; badger

e.g. Several protesters were heckling the speaker at the rally.

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38
Q

hectic

A

of, relating to, or being a fluctuating but persistent fever
red, flushed
characterized by activity, excitement, or confusion

e.g. the hectic days preparing for the holiday

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39
Q

hector

A

to play the bully; swagger
to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure

e.g. The judge ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness.

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40
Q

hedge

A

a fence or boundary formed by a dense row of shrubs or low trees; barrier, limit
a means of protection or defense (as against financial loss)
to enclose or protect with or as if with a hedge; encircle
to hem in or obstruct with or as if with a barrier; hinder
to protect oneself from losing or failing by a counterbalancing action
to evade the risk of commitment especially by leaving open a way of retreat; trim

e.g. She hedged when she was asked to support the campaign.
He hedged his earlier comments about the need for new management.

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41
Q

hedonism

A

the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life
a way of life based on or suggesting the principles of hedonism

e.g. Their spring break trip in Mexico became an exercise in heedless hedonism.

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42
Q

heed

A

to pay attention
to give consideration or attention to; mind
also

e.g. She failed to heed the warnings.
took heed of the students’ learning disability so as to arrive at reasonable expectation for him

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43
Q

hegemony

A

preponderant influence or authority over others; domination
the social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group

e.g. the consequences of the hegemony of American popular culture around the world

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44
Q

heinous

A

hatefully or shockingly evil; abominable

e.g. heinous crimes

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45
Q

heirloom

A

a piece of property that descends to the hair as an inseparable part of an inheritance of real property
something of special value handed on from one generation to another
a horticultural variety that has survived for several generations usually due to the efforts of private individual

46
Q

hem

A

a border of cloth article doubled back and stitched down; rim, margin
to finish with a hem; border, edge
to surround in a restrictive manner; confine
equivocate

e.g. hemmed in by enemy troops
The administration hemmed and hawed over students’ demands.

47
Q

hemophilia

A

a sex-linked hereditary blood defect that occurs almost exclusively in males and is characterized by delayed clotting of the blood and consequent difficulty in controlling hemorrhage even after minor injuries

48
Q

hemorrhage

A

a copious discharge of blood from the blood vessels
a rapid and uncontrollable loss or outflow

e.g. a financial hemorrhage

49
Q

hemostat

A

hemostatic; especially, an instrument for compressing a bleeding vessel

50
Q

herbaceous

A

of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an herb
(of a stem) having little or no woody tissue and persisting usually for a single growing season
having the texture, color, or appearance of a leaf

51
Q

herbicide

A

an agent used to destroy or inhibit plant growth

52
Q

herd

A

a congregation of gregarious wild animals
a group of people/like things
the undistinguished masses; crowd
to gather, lead, or drive as if in a herd
to place in a group

e.g. a herd of tourists
isolate the individual prophets from the herd
herd the children into the car

53
Q

hereditary

A

genetically transmitted or transmittable
of a kind established by tradition

e.g. hereditary disease
hereditary enemies

54
Q

heresy

A

adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma; an opinion or doctrine contrary to church dogma
dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice

e.g. He was preaching dangerous heresies.

55
Q

heretical

A
  • heresy
    also, of, relating to, or characterized by departure from accepted beliefs of standards; unorthodox

e.g. the belief that women should be allowed to have careers outside the home was once considered heretical.

56
Q

hermetic

A

relating to or characterized by occultism or abstruseness; recondite
airtight; impervious to external influence
recluse, solitary

e.g. hermetic seal
trapped inside the hermetic military machine
leads a hermetic life
wrote hermetic poetry whose sole intended readership was himself

57
Q

hermit

A

one that retired from society and lives in solitude especially for religious reasons; recluse
a pieced molasses cookie

e.g. St. Jerome is said to have spent two years as a hermit in the desert, searching for inner space.

58
Q

herpetology

A

a branch of zoology dealing with reptiles and amphibians

59
Q

hew

A

to cut with blows of a heavy cutting instrument
to give form or shape to with or as if with heavy cuts
conform, adhere (oft. used in “hew to the line”)

e.g. The walls are built of stones hewn by skilled craftsmen.
hew to tradition
no pressure on newspapers to hew to the official line

60
Q

hiatus

A

a break in or as if in a material object; gap
an interruption in time or continuity; break, especially a period when something (as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted

e.g. steam rising from an hiatus in the ground
after a 5-year hiatus from writing
a hiatus between the theory and the practice

61
Q

hidebound

A

having an inflexible or ultraconservative character

e.g. The hidebound innkeeper refused to see the need for a website, insisting that the inn had done without one for over 150 years.

62
Q

hie

A

to go quickly; hasten
to cause to go quickly

e.g. We had best hie home before the snow gets worse.

63
Q

hieratic

A

constituting or belonging to a cursive form of ancient Egyptian writing simpler than the hieroglyphic
of or relating to priests or a priesthood; priestly, sacerdotal
highly stylized or formal

e.g. hieratic poses

64
Q

hieroglyphic

A

written in, constituting, or belonging to a system of writing mainly in pictorial characters
resembling hieroglyphic in difficulty of decipherment
also

65
Q

highbrow

A

a person who possesses or has pretensions to superior learning or culture

e.g. Guests at her elegant dinner parties are a mix of the city’s highbrows and captains of industry.

66
Q

hike

A

to rise up; to raise in amount sharply or suddenly
also

e.g. a new wage hike

67
Q

hinge

A

a determining factor; turning point
to be contingent on a single consideration or point (used with on or upon)

e.g. The prosecution’s case hinges on the DNA evidence.

68
Q

hirsute

A

hairy
covered with coarse stiff hairs

e.g. wore a hirsute mask as part of his werewolf costume

69
Q

histology

A

a branch of anatomy that deals with a minute structure of animal and plant tissues as discernible with the microscope
tissue structure or organization

70
Q

histrionic

A

deliberately affected; theatrical
of or relating to actors, acting, or the theater

e.g. a penchant for dish throwing, door slamming, and other histrionic displays of temper

71
Q

hitherto

A

up to this or that time

e.g. At the talent show Kyle revealed his hitherto unknown gift for doing impressions.

72
Q

hive

A

the usually aboveground nest of bees
a place swarming with activity

e.g. The house was a hive of activity as we prepared for the party.

73
Q

hoary

A

gray or white with or as if with age
extremely old; ancient

e.g. a hoary tale of revenge
a man hoary with age

74
Q

hoax

A

to trick into believing or accepting as genuine something false and often preposterous

e.g. a skilled forger who hoaxed the art world into believing that the paintings were long-lost Vermeers

75
Q

hodgepodge

A

a heterogeneous mixture; jumble

e.g. The exhibit was a hodgepodge of mediocre art, bad art, and really bad art.

76
Q

hoe

A

a garden tool that has a flat blade on a long handle
any of various implements for tilling, mixing, or raking
also

77
Q

hoist

A

life, raise; especially, to raise into position by or as if by means of ropes or machinery
drink

e.g. hoisted into place and securely welded
hoist a few beers

78
Q

holster

A

a leather or fabric case for carrying a firearm (or any usually small item) on a person

e.g. a knife holster
a heart monitor carried in a hip holster

79
Q

homage

A

expression of high regard; respect (usually used with pay)
something that shows respect or attests to the worth or influence of another; tribute

e.g. The poem is a moving homage to all who have served in our nation’s armed services.

80
Q

homiletics

A

the art of preaching

81
Q

homogenize

A

to blend (diverse elements) into a uniform mixture; to make homogeneous

e.g. The new curriculum is an attempt to homogenize education throughout the country.
plans to homogenize the science curriculum

82
Q

hone

A

whetstone
to sharpen or smooth with a whetstone
to make more acute, intense, or effective; whet

e.g. helped her comic timing

83
Q

honorarium

A

a payment for a service (as making a speech) on which custom or propriety forbids a price to be set

e.g. We are willing to offer a small honorarium for judging the competition.

84
Q

hoodwink

A

to deceive by false appearance; dupe

e.g. be hoodwinked into buying things you don’t need

85
Q

hoof

A

the hard covering on the foot of an animal

to dance as a performer

86
Q

plumb

A

a lead weight attached to a line and used to indicate a vertical direction
straight down or up; vertically
in a direct manner; exactly; also, without interval of time; immediately
to examine minutely and critically
exactly vertical or true
thorough, complete

e.g. He set the board plumb.
a scientist who spend her life plumbing the minds of criminals
a horror movie that’s plumb trash and further evidence of the deterioration of popular culture

87
Q

hortative

A

giving exhortation; advisory

serving to encourage or urge

88
Q

horticulture

A

the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants

89
Q

hospitable

A

given to generous and cordial reception of guests
promising or suggesting generous and cordial welcome
offering a pleasant or sustaining environment
readily receptive; open

e.g. It’s a hearty plant that grows in even the least hospitable climates
hospitable to new ideas

90
Q

hovel

A

an open shed or shelter
a small, wretched, and often dirty house; hut

e.g. refugees living in crowded hovels

91
Q

hub

A

the central part of a circular object
a center of activity; focal point
an airport or city through which an airline routes most of its traffic

e.g. the hub of the city
She was at the hub of all the activity.
All of the airline’s coast-to-coast flights pass through its hub.

92
Q

hubris

A

exaggerated pride or self-confidence

e.g. His failure was brought on by his hubris.

93
Q

huckster

A

someone who sells things in small amounts often by traveling to different places; hawker, peddler
one who produces promotional material for commercial clients especially for radio or television

e.g. hucksters outside the auditorium selling everything from key chains to life-size cutouts of the rock star

94
Q

hue

A

complexion, aspect
color; gradation of color

e.g. suggested she wear brighter hues to complement her skin tone
We decorated the room in hues of blue and green.

95
Q

hulk

A

a heavy clumsy ship; the body of an old ship unfit for service; a ship used as a prison
an abandoned wreck or shell (as of a building or automobile)
one that is bulky or unwieldy

e.g. the burned out hulk of the factory
The ship’s rusting hulk is still visible on the rocks.

96
Q

hull

A

the outer covering of a fruit or seed
the frame or body of a ship or boat (or other usually large or heavy craft or vehicle)
covering casing
to remove the hulls of; shuck

e.g. The coffin was placed in a cement hull.
hull the pinto beans before adding them

97
Q

humane

A

marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals
characterized by or tending to broad humanistic culture; humanistic

e.g. the humane way to treat animals
humane conditions in prisons
humane studies

98
Q

exhume

A

disinter
to bring back for neglect or obscurity

e.g. exhume a body
exhumed a great deal of information from the archives

99
Q

supercilious

A

coolly and patronizingly haughty

e.g. The supercilious art dealer rolled her eyes when we asked if she had anything for under $1000.

100
Q

bumptious

A

presumptuously, obtusely, and often noisily self-assertive; obtrusive

e.g. a bumptious young man whose family wealth gave him a sense of entitlement

101
Q

humdrum

A

monotonous, dull

e.g. another humdrum day at the office

102
Q

humility

A

the quality or state of being humble

e.g. He accepted the honor with humility.
The ordeal taught her humility.

103
Q

humor

A

characteristic or habitual disposition or bent; an often temporary state of mind imposed especially by circumstances
a sudden, unpredictable, or unreasoning inclination; whim
to soothe or content by indulgence
to adapt oneself to

e.g. of cheerful humor
was in no humor to listen
The only way to get along with him is to humor him.
humored her grandfather by listening to his war stories for the hundredth time

104
Q

hunch

A

jostle, shove
to thrust or bend over into a humped or crooked position
a strong intuitive feeling concerning especially a future event or result

e.g. He hunched his shoulders as he headed out into the storm.
My hunch is that the stock is going to go up in value.

105
Q

hurdle

A

a portable panel usually of wattled withes and stakes used especially for enclosing land or livestock
an artificial barrier over which racers must leap
barrier, obstacle
overcome, surmount

e.g. The company faces severe financial hurdles this year.

106
Q

hurl

A

rush, hurtle
vomit
to throw (down) with violence; fling
to utter with vehemence

e.g. the forces that were to be hurled against the Turks
hurled the manuscript into the fire
hurled insults at the police

107
Q

husband

A

a frugal manager
to manage prudently and economically
to use sparingly; conserve

e.g. We should husband our natural resources so that our children and grandchildren may benefit from them.

108
Q

husbandry

A

the control or judicious use of resources; conservation
the cultivation or production of plants or animals; agriculture
the scientific control and management of a branch of farming and especially of domestic animals

e.g. In accordance with his practice of good husbandry, he never buys anything on credit.
a family of winemakers whose tradition of vineyard husbandry goes back several generations

109
Q

prodigal

A

characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure; lavish
recklessly spendthrift
yielding abundantly; luxuriant (usually used with of)

e.g. a prodigal feast / prodigal outlays for her clothes
The prodigal child always spend her allowance the minute she got it.
The nature has been so prodigal of her bounty.

110
Q

husky

A

hoarse with or as if with emotion

burly, robust; large

111
Q

hyperbole

A

extravagant exaggeration

e.g. “Enough food to feed a whole army” is a common example of hyperbole.

112
Q

hyphen

A

a punctuation mark “-“ used especially to divide or to compound words, word elements, or numbers