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IMPROVED ENGLISH > WORDS > Flashcards

WORDS Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

prosaic

A

not challenging; dull and lacking excitement

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2
Q

obsequious

A

attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery

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3
Q

subservient

A

compliant and obedient to authority

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4
Q

ostracize

A

expel from a community or group

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5
Q

bouillabaisse (bu-ya-bes)

A

highly seasoned Mediterranean soup or stew made of several kinds of fish and shellfish with tomatoes and onions or leeks and seasoned with saffron and garlic and herbs

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6
Q

arbiter

A

someone chosen to judge and decide a disputed issue

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7
Q

dragoon

A

a member of a European military unit formerly composed of heavily armed cavalrymen

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8
Q

debauchery

A

a wild gathering involving drinking and promiscuity

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9
Q

cadge

A

obtain or seek to obtain by cadging or wheedling

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10
Q

steeple

A

a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top

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11
Q

exhort

A

to spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts

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12
Q

sordid

A

morally degraded

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13
Q

contingent

A

determined by conditions or circumstances that follow

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14
Q

contentious

A

involving or likely to cause controversy

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15
Q

ideology

A

an orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group

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16
Q

pragmatic

A

concerned with practical matters

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17
Q

paraphernalia

A
  1. Miscellaneous articles, esp. the equipment needed for a particular activity.
  2. Trappings associated with a particular institution or activity that are regarded as superfluous.
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18
Q

maelstrom (male-strum)

A
  1. A powerful whirlpool in the sea or a river.
  2. A scene or state of confused and violent movement or upheaval.
    Synonyms
    eddy - whirlpool - vortex - swirl - whirl - gulf
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19
Q

contrarian (CON-tra-ree-un)

A

Noun
A person who opposes or rejects popular opinion, esp. in stock exchange dealing.
Adjective
Opposing or rejecting popular opinion; going against current practice.

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20
Q

spiv

A

a person without employment who makes money by various dubious schemes; goes about smartly dressed and having a good time.

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21
Q

cataclysmic

A

cataclysmal: severely destructive; “cataclysmic nuclear war”; “a cataclysmic earthquake”.

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22
Q

clapped out

A

worn from age or heavy use and no longer able to operate (of cars or machines or people).

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23
Q

wit

A

Noun
Mental sharpness and inventiveness; keen intelligence.
Verb
Have knowledge: “I wot that but too well”.
Synonyms
noun. intellect - mind - intelligence - nous - sense
verb. know - ken - wot

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24
Q

contrivcance

A

Noun
A thing that is created skillfully and inventively to serve a particular purpose.
The use of skill to bring something about or create something.
Synonyms
device - invention

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25
Q

posit

A

Verb
Assume as a fact; put forward as a basis of argument.
Noun
A statement made on the assumption that it will prove to be true.
Synonyms
place - set - put - pose - postulate

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26
Q

effete

A 
Adjective
(of a person) Affected, overrefined, and ineffectual: "effete trendies from art college".
No longer capable of effective action.
Synonyms
exhausted - decadent
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27
Q

assiduous

A

Adjective
Showing great care and perseverance: “she was assiduous in pointing out every feature”.
Synonyms
diligent - sedulous - industrious - studious

28
Q

imbue

A

Verb
Inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality: “imbued with deep piety”.
Synonyms
impregnate - saturate - soak - pervade - permeate

29
Q

dapper

A

Adjective
(typically of a man) Neat and trim in dress, appearance, or bearing.
Synonyms
smart - spruce - natty

30
Q

ebullient (e-BOO-lyent)

A

Cheerful and full of energy: “she sounded ebullient and happy”.
(of liquid or matter) Boiling or agitated as if boiling: “misted and ebullient seas”.

31
Q

LUGUBRIOUS (lu-GOO-bri-us)

A

mournful, dismal

32
Q

malevolent (ma-LEV-o-lent)

A

Adjective
Having or showing a wish to do evil to others.
Synonyms
malicious - malignant - ill-disposed - spiteful - vicious

33
Q

curlicue

A

a decorative curl or twist in calligraphy or in the design of an object

34
Q

inveterate (in-VET-er-et)

A

Adjective
Having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.
(of a feeling or habit) Long-established and unlikely to change.
Synonyms
confirmed - ingrained - deep-seated

35
Q

spar

A

Noun
A thick, strong pole such as is used for a mast or yard on a ship.
A period or bout of sparring.
A crystalline, easily cleavable, light-colored mineral.
Verb
Make the motions of boxing without landing heavy blows, as a form of training: “broke his nose while sparring”.
Synonyms
dispute - wrangle

36
Q

crofter

A

an owner or tenant of a small farm in Great Britain

37
Q

dilettante (dil-uh-TAN-tee)

A

Noun
A person who claims an area of interest, such as the arts, without real commitment or knowledge.
A person with an amateur interest in the arts.
Synonyms
dabbler

38
Q

SEPULCHRE (se-PUHL-ker)

A

1: a place of burial : tomb
2: a receptacle for religious relics especially in an altar
SEPULCHRAL

39
Q

mellifluous

A

Adjective
(of a voice or words) Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear.
Synonyms
mellifluent - melodious - honeyed - sweet - dulcet

40
Q

Caveat

A

1a : a warning enjoining one from certain acts or practices
b : an explanation to prevent misinterpretation
c : a modifying or cautionary detail to be considered when evaluating, interpreting, or doing something
2: a legal warning to a judicial officer to suspend a proceeding until the opposition has a hearing

41
Q

Luddite

A

one of a group of early 19th century English workmen destroying laborsaving machinery as a protest; broadly : one who is opposed to especially technological change

42
Q

ingenue

A

1: a naive girl or young woman
2: the stage role of an ingenue; also : an actress playing such a role

43
Q

behoove

A

transitive verb
: to be necessary, proper, or advantageous for

intransitive verb
: to be necessary, fit, or proper

44
Q

plethora

A

1: a bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood and marked by turgescence and a florid complexion

2: excess, superfluity; also : profusion, abundance
— ple·tho·ric adjective

45
Q

blase

A

1: apathetic to pleasure or excitement as a result of excessive indulgence or enjoyment : world-weary
2: sophisticated, worldly-wise
3: unconcerned

46
Q

glogg

A

a hot spiced wine and liquor punch served in Scandinavian countries as a Christmas drink

47
Q

esoteric

A

1a : designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone <a>
b : requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group ; broadly : difficult to understand
2a : limited to a small circle
b : private, confidential
3: of special, rare, or unusual interest
— es·o·ter·i·cal·ly adverb</a>

48
Q

subsistence

A

1a (1) : real being : existence (2) : the condition of remaining in existence : continuation, persistence
b : an essential characteristic quality of something that exists
c : the character possessed by whatever is logically conceivable
2: means of subsisting: as
a : the minimum (as of food and shelter) necessary to support life
b : a source or means of obtaining the necessities of life

49
Q

urbane

A

notably polite or polished in manner

50
Q

litigate

A

transitive verb

: to carry on a legal contest by judicial process

intransitive verb

1archaic : dispute
2: to contest at law 
— lit·i·ga·ble adjective
— lit·i·ga·tion noun
— lit·i·ga·tor noun
51
Q

ubiquitous

A

existing or being everywhere at the same time : constantly encountered : widespread <a>
— ubiq·ui·tous·ly adverb
— ubiq·ui·tous·ness noun</a>

52
Q

Derailleur

A

a mechanism for shifting gears on a bicycle that operates by moving the chain from one set of exposed gears to another

53
Q

Finial

A

1: a usually foliated ornament forming an upper extremity especially in Gothic architecture
2: a crowning ornament or detail (as a decorative knob)

54
Q

Bolster

A

noun

1: a long pillow or cushion
2: a structural part designed to eliminate friction or provide support or bearing

transitive verb

1: to support with or as if with a bolster : reinforce
2: to give a boost to

55
Q

viaduct

A

a long elevated roadway usually consisting of a series of short spans supported on arches, piers, or columns

56
Q

ferrule

A

1: a ring or cap usually of metal put around a slender shaft (as a cane or a tool handle) to strengthen it or prevent splitting
2: a usually metal sleeve used especially for joining or binding one part to another (as pipe sections or the bristles and handle of a brush)

57
Q

joist

A

any of the small timbers or metal beams ranged parallel from wall to wall in a structure to support a floor or ceiling

58
Q

fuselage

A

the central body portion of an aircraft designed to accommodate the crew and the passengers or cargo

59
Q

mitigate

A

1: to cause to become less harsh or hostile : mollify
2a : to make less severe or painful : alleviate
b : extenuate

60
Q

equivocate

A

intransitive verb, \i-ˈkwi-və-ˌkāt\

1: to use equivocal language especially with intent to deceive
2: to avoid committing oneself in what one says
— equiv·o·ca·tion noun
— equiv·o·ca·tor noun

Example: It is against the law in the USA to equivocate when testifying in court.

61
Q

ethos

A

the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution

62
Q

Condescending

A

adjective, \ˌkän-di-ˈsen-diŋ\

showing or characterized by a patronizing or superior attitude toward others

63
Q

Intransigent

A

characterized by refusal to compromise or to abandon an extreme position or attitude : uncompromising

64
Q

Intercede

A

intransitive verb, \ˌin-tər-ˈsēd\

: to intervene between parties with a view to reconciling differences : mediate
— in·ter·ced·er noun

65
Q

Emphatic

A

adjective, \im-ˈfa-tik, em-\

1: uttered with or marked by emphasis
2: tending to express oneself in forceful speech or to take decisive action
3: attracting special attention
4: constituting or belonging to a set of tense forms in English consisting of the auxiliary do followed by an infinitive without to that are used to facilitate rhetorical inversion or to emphasize something
— em·phat·i·cal·ly adverb

IMPROVED ENGLISH (3 decks)

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