Word List 44 Flashcards

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1
Q

helm

A

the entire apparatus for steering a ship
a position of control; head
steer
direct, control

e.g. a new dean at the helm of the medical school
The director has helmed many action movies.

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2
Q

helot

A

serf, slave

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3
Q

helve

A

a handle of a tool or weapon; haft

e.g. The head of the ax was crudely lashed to a wooden helve.

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4
Q

henpeck

A

to subject (one’s husband) to persistent nagging and domination

e.g. Neighbors say she henpecked him into giving up golf and selling his clubs.

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5
Q

herald

A

an official messenger in the past
one that precedes or foreshadows
to give notice of; announce
to greet especially with enthusiasm; hail

e.g. The early flowers are heralds of spring.
Rain heralds the arrival of spring.
doctors heralding a new drug

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6
Q

heyday

A

the period of one’s greatest popularity, vigor, or prosperity

e.g. In its heyday, the circus was a major form of entertainment for small-town America.

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7
Q

hilt

A

a handle especially of a sword or dagger
(to the hilt: completely)

e.g. play the role to the hilt

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8
Q

hinterland

A

a region lying inland from a coast
a region remote from urban areas

e.g. The colonies hugged the coastline, while the hinterland remained largely unexplored.

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9
Q

hobble

A

to limp along
fetter; hamper, impede

e.g. hobble across the room
hobbled by self-doubt

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10
Q

holocaust

A

a thorough destruction involving extensive loss of life
a mass slaughter of people; especially, genocide

e.g. a nuclear holocaust

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11
Q

holograph

A

a document wholly in the handwriting of its author; also, the handwriting itself

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12
Q

homely

A

suggestive or characteristic of a home
unaffectedly natural; simple
not elaborate or complex
plain or unattractive in appearance

e.g. the homely appeal of farm life
a homely face

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13
Q

homily

A

a usually short sermon
a lecture or discourse on or of a moral theme
an inspirational catchphrase; also, platitude

e.g. a brief homily on forgiveness

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14
Q

horology

A

the science of measuring time

the art of making instruments for indicating time

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15
Q

howler

A

one that howls

a humorous and ridiculous blunder

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16
Q

hubbub

A

noise, uproar
confusion, turmoil

e.g. go to the country to escape the hubbub of the city
all the hubbub surrounding the film star

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17
Q

idolatry

A

the worship of a physical object as a god
immoderate attachment or devotion to something

e.g. Her idolatry of her favorite rock star is one step removed from stalking.

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18
Q

illiberal

A

not requiring the background of a liberal arts education
not broad-minded; bigoted
opposed to liberalism

e.g. an illiberal society that viewed any artistic depiction of the nude as inherent indecent

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19
Q

illustrious

A

notably or brilliantly outstanding because of dignity or achievement or actions; eminent

e.g. an illustrious military career
an illustrious physicist who is a sure bet for a Nobel

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20
Q

imprecate

A

to invoke evil on; curse

e.g. With her dying breath the witch imprecated the villagers for their relentless persecution of her.

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21
Q

imputation

A

attribution, ascription
accusation
insinuation

e.g. deny any imputation of unfairness

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22
Q

impute

A

to lay the responsibility or blame for often falsely or unjustly
to credit to a person or a cause; attribute

e.g. People often impute his silence to unfriendliness and not to the shyness it really represents.

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23
Q

incrustation

A

a crust or hard coating

a growth or accumulation

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24
Q

indite

A

make up, compose
to put down in writing

e.g. indite a poem/message

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25
Q

inexpedient

A

not expedient; inadvisable

e.g. a nutritionally dubious, inexpedient method for losing weight

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26
Q

inexpiable

A

not capable of being atoned for

e.g. Apparently, the gubernatorial candidate is guilty of the inexpiable sin of speaking out too openly and honestly about the state’s financial woes.

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27
Q

infatuate

A

to cause to be foolish; deprive of sound judgement

to inspire with a foolish or extravagant love or admiration

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28
Q

ingress

A

entrance
the power or liberty of entrance or access

e.g. a seal preventing ingress of moisture
an area with restricted ingress

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29
Q

insolation

A

exposure to the sun’s rays
sunstroke
solar radiation that has been received

30
Q

insouciance

A

lighthearted unconcern; nonchalance

e.g. wandered into the meeting with complete insouciance to the fact the she was late

31
Q

insuperable

A

incapable of being surmounted, overcome, passed over, or solved

e.g. insuperable financial difficulties

32
Q

interlocutor

A

one who takes part in dialogue or conversation

33
Q

interlope

A

to encroach on the rights (as in trade) of others
intrude, interfere

e.g. regarded the new couple as a pair of interloping parvenus who were sure to upset the town’s social hierarchy

34
Q

interstice

A

a space that intervenes between things
a gap or break in something generally continuous
a short space of time between events

e.g. interstices of a wall
passages of genuine literary merit in the interstices of the ludicrous plots
There’s occasional interstice in the tedium, but most of the novel is boring.

35
Q

intestate

A

having made no valid will
not disposed of by will

e.g. died intestate
an intestate estate

36
Q

intumescence

A

a swollen or enlarged part of a plant or animal; also, the process of swelling up or enlarging

37
Q

investiture

A

the act of establishing in office or ratifying
something that covers or adorns

e.g. the investiture of a new member of parliament

38
Q

invigilate

A

to keep watch; especially, to supervise students at an examination
supervise, monitor

39
Q

irradiate

A

illuminate; enlighten
to emit like rays of light; radiate

e.g. food irradiated to kill any germs
irradiating strength and comfort

40
Q

jamboree

A

a noisy or unrestrained carouse

41
Q

juncture

A

joint, connection
a point of time; especially, one made critical by a concurrence of circumstances

e.g. Negotiations between the countries reached a critical juncture.

42
Q

jurisprudence

A

the study of law

43
Q

lackey

A

footman, servant
a servile follower; toady

e.g. He was nothing but a spineless lackey of the establishment.

44
Q

laggard

A

lagging or tending to lag; dilatory

e.g. I hate being stuck behind laggard motorists on the freeway.

45
Q

lapidary

A

a cutter, polisher, or engraver of precious stones usually other than diamonds
having the elegance and precision associated with lapidary

e.g. a stanza with a lapidary dignity

46
Q

leeward

A

the side that is sheltered from the wind

being in or facing the direction toward which the wind is blowing; also, being the side opposite the windward

47
Q

lesion

A

injury, harm

an abnormal change in structure of an organ or part due to injury or disease

48
Q

lexical

A

of or relating to words or the vocabulary of a language as distinguished from its grammar and construction
of or relating to a lexicon or to lexicography

e.g. lexical information - what a word means

49
Q

libido

A

sexual drive

50
Q

licit

A

conforming to the requirements of the law; permissible

e.g. Law enforcement agencies are demanding stricter regulation of the sale of licit medications that can later be used to in the home manufacture of illicit drugs.

51
Q

ligature

A

something that is used to bind; specifically, a filament used in surgery

e.g. a ligature around the tube to keep it in place
A common language is often the ligature that unites the people of a nation.

52
Q

limbo

A

a place or state of restraint or confinement
a place or state of neglect or oblivion
an intermediate or transition place or state

e.g. proposals kept in limbo

53
Q

lineament

A

an outline, feature, or contour of a body or figure and especially of a face (oft. pl.)
a distinguishing or characteristic feature (oft. pl.)

e.g. His fine lineaments made him the very image of his father.
the lineaments of sincere repentance

54
Q

littoral

A

of, relating to, or situated or growing on or near a shore especially of the sea

e.g. Littoral warfares includes amphibious landings.

55
Q

loam

A

a type of soil good for growing plants

56
Q

logjam

A

deadlock, impasse
blockage
jam, crowd

e.g. try to break the logjam in the negotiations
The presence of an ambulance on the side of the highway created a logjam of rubbernecks who just had to have to a look.

57
Q

lore

A

knowledge gained through study or experience

traditional knowledge or belief

58
Q

lout

A

an awkward brutish person

59
Q

lubricious

A

marked by wantonness; lecherous; also, salacious
having a smooth or slippery quality

e.g. back in the days when lubricious employers could, with impunity, take advantage of naive factory girls
a lubricious skin

60
Q

lucre

A

monetary gain; profit

61
Q

luscious

A

having a delicious taste or smell; sweet

sexually attractive; seductive, sexy

62
Q

lusty

A

full of strength and energy

e.g. a young, lusty, growing country
a lusty spirit of adventure

63
Q

lynch

A

to put to death by mob action without legal sanction

64
Q

mackintosh

A

raincoat

a lightweight waterproof fabric originally of rubberized cotton

65
Q

maestro

A

a master usually in art; especially, an eminent composer, conductor, or teacher of music

66
Q

magniloquent

A

speaking in or characterized by a high-flown often bombastic style or manner

e.g. magniloquent boasts

67
Q

malefactor

A

one who commits an offense against the law; especially, felon
one who does ill toward another

68
Q

malodor

A

an offensive odor

69
Q

manacle

A

handcuff
something used as a restraint

e.g. The warring groups need to shake off the manacle of their troubled past and learn to live with one another in peace.

70
Q

mangy

A

(of an animal) having a skin disease that causes itching and loss of hair; suffering from mange
having many worn or bare spots
seedy, shabby

e.g. a mangy old car covered in rust

71
Q

maraud

A

to roam about and raid in search of plunder
raid, pillage

e.g. Just for kicks, bored teenagers marauded neighborhood houses while their owners were away.