Word List 7 Flashcards
Burlesque (v)
give an imitation that ridicules
In Galaxy Quest, Alan Rickman burlesques Mr. Spock of Star trek, outrageously parodying Spock’s unemotional manner and stiff bearing
Burnish (v)
make shiny by rubbing; polish
Buttress (v)
support; prop up
Buxom (adj)
full-bosomed; plump; jolly
High-fashion models usually are slender rather than buxom
Cabal (n)
small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interest
Some conspiracy theorists contend that a shadowy cabal of powerful tycoons secretly rules the world
Cacophonous (adj)
discordant; inharmonious
Do the students in the orchestra enjoy the cacophonous sounds they make?
Cage (v)
beg; mooch; panhandle
While his car was in the shop - Bob had to cadge a ride to work each day
Cajole (v)
coax; wheedle
Cher tried to cajole her father into letting her drive the family car (cajolery n)
Callow (adj)
youthful; immature; inexperienced
Calumny (n)
malicious misrepresentation; slander
He could endure his financial failure, but he could not bear the calumny that his foes heaped upon him
Camaraderie (n)
good-fellowship
Candor (n)
frankness; open honesty
Jack can carry cantor too far when he told Jill his honest opinion of her, she nearly slapped his face
Canny (adj)
shrewd; thrifty
The canny Scotsman was more than a match for the swindlers
Cant (n)
insincere expressions of piety; jargon of thieves
Shocked by news of the minister’s extramarital love affairs, the worshippers dismissed his talk about the sacredness of marriage as mere cant. Cant is a form of hypocrisy
Cantankerous (adj)
ill-humoured; irritable
Constantly complaining about his treatment and refusing to cooperate with the hospitals staff, he was a cantankerous patient
Canvass (v)
determine or seek opinions, votes
After canvassing the sentiment of his constituents, the congressman was confident that he represented the majority opinion of his district
Capacious (adj)
spacious
Capitulate (v)
surrender
Once the allied forces converged on Berlin, the was near, the Berlin garrison commander capitulated on the second of May
Capricious (adj)
unpredictable; fickle
The storm was capricious. Jill was capricious too, she changed boyfriends almost as often as she changed clothes
Captious (adj)
faultfinding
His criticism were always captious and frivolous, never offering constructive suggestions
Carnal (adj)
fleshly
Is the public more interested in carnal pleasures than in spiritual matters?
Carping (n)
petty criticism; fault-finding
Welcoming constructive criticism, Lexy appreciated her editor’s comments, finding them free of carping
Castigation (n)
punishment; severe criticism
Catechism (n)
book for religious instruction; instruction by question and answer
He taught by engaging his pupils in a catechism until they gave him the correct answer
Catharsis (n)
purging or cleansing of any passage of the body
Aristotle maintained that tragedy created a catharsis by purging the soul of base concepts
Cathartic (n)
purgative
Some drugs act as laxatives when taken in small doses but act as cathartics when taken in much larger doses
Caucus (n)
private meeting of members of a party to select officers or determine policy
At the opening of Congress the members of Democratic Party held a caucus to elect the majority leader of the House
Caustic (adj)
burning; sarcastically biting
The critic’s caustic remarks angered the hapless actors who were the subjects of his sarcasm
Cauterize (v)
burn with hot iron or caustic
The doctor cauterised the wound
Cavalcade
procession; parade
As described by Chaucer, the cavalcade of Canterbury pilgrims was a motley group
Cavil (v)
make frivolous objections
I respect your sensible criticisms, but i dislike the way you cavil about unimportant details
Cede (v)
yield (title, territory) to; surrender formally
Eventually the descendants of England’s Henry II were forced to cede their French territories
Celerity (n)
speed; rapidity
Hamlet resented his mother’s celerity in remarrying within a month after his father’s death
Celibate (adj)
abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried
