WW12 Lesson 8 (Fifi) Flashcards
aborigine
(n)
An original inhabitant, especially one displaced by later settlers.
- The Maori, _aborigines_ of New Zealand, comprise many tribes and subtribes.
(adj)
aboriginal
abrogate
(v)
To put an end to; to abolish or repeal.
- Often, one of the first acts of a dictator is to _abrogate_ the powers of the press.
appurtenance
(n)
An item of equipment; an accessory.
- The _appurtenances_ that go with the apartment include an air conditioner and a washer/dryer combination.
bivouac
(n)
A temporary camp or shelter.
- While following the Appalachian Trail, we looked for a sheltered, well-drained spot to set up our _bivouac_.
(v)
To stay in such a camp.
- On June 30, Ewell’s troops _bivouacked_ near a road north of Gettysburg.
cetacean
(n)
A member of the order of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
- The blue whale is the largest of the _cetaceans_.
(adj)
cetacean or cetaceous
decry
(v)
To criticize strongly; to denounce.
- Many citizens of the world still _decry_ the failure of stronger nations to intervene in the genocidal civil war that, in the 1990s, raged in Rwanda, Africa.
desuetude
(n)
A state of disuse.
- The old factory building was rescued from _desuetude_ by the city’s conversion of it to attractive, affordable housing units.
leviathan
(n)
Anything that is of enormous size.
- The cruise ship was a _leviathan_ with luxury accommodations for over two thousand passengers.
mawkish
(adj)
-
Excessively sentimental.
* Because today’s greeting-card verses are so _mawkish_, I often select a humorous one instead. -
Having an unpleasant, sickly sweet taste.
* The _mawkish_ beverage tasted like coconut milk and overripe mango.
misapprehend
(v)
To fail to understand correctly.
- So that no one _misapprehends_ the conditions of the agreement, let’s put them in writing.
(n)
missaprehension
parochial
(adj)
-
Limited or narrow in scope or outlook.
* She is of the _parochial_ view that what’s good for her state is good for the whole country. -
Of or related to a church parish.
* You don’t have to be a church member to teach at a _parochial_ school.
purvey
(v)
To be in the business of supplying goods, especially food or provisions, for use.
- The Loxley Company has _purveyed_ bakery goods for five generations.
(n)
purveyor
recourse
(n)
-
A turning to someone or something for aid.
* You have _recourse_ to the courts if you cannot settle the dispute on your own. -
A source of help or support.
* Reading was his usual _recourse_ during periods of insomnia.
replete
(adj)
Well supplied; full.
- His memoir is _replete_ with amusing anecdotes.
waive
(v)
To give up as a right; to forgo.
- The town _waived_ a portion of property taxes for senior citizens.
(n)
waiver