Quick Quizzes 21 - 31 Flashcards
circuitous
circuitous (sur KYOO uh tus) adj roundabout; not following a direct path
The circuitous bus route between the two cities went here, there, and everywhere, and it took an extremely long time to get anywhere.
circumlocution
circumlocution (sur kum loh KYOO shun) n an indirect expression; use of wordy or evasive language
The lawyer’s circumlocution left everyone in the courtroom wondering what had been said.
circumscribe
circumscribe (SUR kum skrybe) v to draw a line around; to set the limits; to define; to restrict
The Constitution clearly circumscribes the restrictions that can be placed on our personal freedoms.
circumspect
circumspect (SUR kum spekt) adj cautious
As a public speaker, Nick was extremely circumspect; he always took great care not to say the wrong thing or give offense.
The word circumspect comes from Greek roots meaning around and look (as do the words circle and inspect). To be circumspect is to look around carefully before doing something.
circumvent
circumvent (sur kum VENT) v to frustrate as though by surrounding
Our hopes for an early end of the meeting were circumvented by the chairperson’s refusal to deal with the items on the agenda.
civil
civil (SIV ul) adj polite; civilized; courteous
Our dinner guests conducted themselves civilly when we told them we weren’t going to serve them dinner after all. They didn’t bang their cups on the table or throw their plates to the floor. The word civil also has other meanings. Civil rights are rights established by law. Civil service is government service.
clemency
clemency (KLEM un see) n mercy; forgiveness; mildness
The governor committed an act of clemency when he released all the convicts from the state penitentiary.
Mild weather is called clement weather; bad weather is called inclement weather.
cliche`
cliche (klee SHAY) n an overused saying or idea
The expression “you can’t judge a book by its cover” is a cliche`; it’s been used so many times, that freshness has been worn away.
Cliches are usually true, but they are boring.
clique
clique (kleek) n an exclusive group bound together by some shared quality or interest
The high school newspaper staff was a real clique; they all hung out together and wouldn’t talk to anyone else. It was hard to have fun at that school if you weren’t a member of the right clique. The cheerleaders were cliquish as well.
inclement
inclement (IN cluh mint) adj bad weather is called inclement
You should wear a coat and carry an umbrella in inclement weather.
coalesce
coalesce (koh uh LES) v to come together as one; to fuse; to unite
When the dough coalesced into a big black blob, we began to wonder whether the cookies would be edible.
A coalition is a group of people that has come together for some purpose, often a political cause.
coalition
coalition (koh uh LIH shun) n a group of people that has come together for some purpose, often a political cause.
Coal miners and cola bottlers might coalesce into a coalition for the purpose of persuading coal mine owners to provide cola machines in coal mines.
coerce
coerce (koh URS) v to force someone to do or not to do something
Darth Vader tried flattery, Darth Vader tried gifts, Darth Vader even tried to coerce, but Darth Vader was never able to make Han Solo reveal the hidden rebel base.
The noun is coercion (koh UR shun)
cogent
cogent (KOH junt) adj powerfully convincing
Shaft was cogent in explaining why he needed the confidential files, so we gave them to him.
Cogent reasons are extremely persuasive ones.
cognitive
cognitive (KAHG nu tiv) adj dealing with how we know the world around us through our senses; mental
Scientists study the cognitive apparatus of human beings to pattern how computers should gather information about the world.
Cognition is knowing.
cognizant
cognizant (KAHG nu zunt) adj aware; conscious
To be cognizant of your responsibilities is to know what your responsibilities are.
Al was cognizant of the dangers of sword swallowing, but he tried it anyway and hurt himself quite badly.
coherent
coherent (koh HEER unt) adj holding together; making sense
After puzzling over Grace’s disorganized Holy Roman Empire essay for almost an hour, Ms. Fabricius needed only twenty minutes to read Arjun’s coherent paper on the Defenestration of Prague
A coherent wad of cotton balls is one that holds together.
colloquial
colloquial (kul OH kwee ul) adj conversational; informal in language
A writer with a colloquial style is a writer who uses ordinary words and whose writing seems as informal as common speech.
“The way I figure it” is a colloquial expression, or a colloquialism. People often say it but it isn’t used in formal prose.
A colloquy (KAHL uh kwee) is a conversation or conference.
collusion
collusion (kuh LOO zhun) n conspiracy; secret cooperation
The increase in oil prices was the result of collusion by the oil-producing nations.
There was collusion among the owners of the baseball teams; they agreed secretly not to sign any expensive free agents.
If the baseball owners were in collusion, then you could say that they had colluded. To collude is to conspire.
commensurate
commensurate (kuh MEN sur it) adj equal; proportionate
Ryan’s salary is commensurate with his ability; like his ability, his salary is small.
The number of touchdowns scored by the team and the number of its victories were commensurate (both zero).
compelling
compelling (kum PEL ing) adj forceful; causing to yield
A compelling argument for buying a digital video recorder is one that makes you go out and buy a digital video recorder.
The recruiter’s speech was so compelling that nearly everyone in the auditorium enlisted in the Army when it was over.
To compel someone to do something is to force him or her to do it.
Our consciences compelled us to turn over the money we had found to the authorities.
The noun is compulsion, which also means an irresistible impulse to do something irrational.
compendium
compendium (kum PEN dee um) n a summary; an abridgment
A yearbook often contains a compendium of the offenses, achievements, and future plans of the members of the senior class.
complacent
complacent (kum PLAY sunt) adj self-satisfied; overly pleased with oneself; contented to a fault
The complacent camper paid no attention to the bear prowling around his campsite, and the bear ate him up.
To fall into complacency is to become comfortably uncaring about the world around you.
complement
complement (KAHM pluh munt) v to complete or fill up; to be the perfect counterpart
This word is often confused with compliment, which means to praise. It’s easy to tell them apart. Complement is spelled like complete.
The flower arrangement complemented the table decorations.
Complement can also be a noun.
Fish-flavored ice cream was a perfect complement to the seafood dinner.
complicity
complicity (kum PLIS uh tee) n participation in wrongdoing; the act of being an accomplice
There was complicity between the bank robber and the dishonest teller. The teller neglected to turn on the alarm, and the robber rewarded him by sharing the loot.
Complicity among the students made it impossible to find out which of them had pulled the fire alarm.
comprehensive
comprehensive (kahm pruh HEN siv) adj covering or including everything
The insurance policy was comprehensive; it covered all possible losses.
Maria’s knowledge of English is comprehensive; she even understands what comprehensive means.
comprise
comprise (kum PRYZE) v to consist of
A football team comprises eleven players on offense and eleven players on defense.
A company comprises employees.
This word is often misused. Be careful. Players do not “comprise” a football team, and employees do not “comprise” a company. Nor can a football team be said to be “comprised of” players or a company to be “comprised of” employees. These are common mistakes. Instead, you can say that players constitute or compose a team, and that employees constitute or compose a company. You can also say that a team consists of players or a company consists of employees.
conciliatory
conciliatory (kun SIL ee uh tor ee) adj making peace; attempting to resolve a dispute through goodwill
To be conciliatory is to kiss and make-up.
After dinner at the all-you-can-eat pancake house, the divorced couple began to feel conciliatory, so they flew to Las Vegas and were remarried.
When peace has been made, we say that the warring parties have come to a reconciliation (rek un sil ee AY shun). To reconcile is to bring two things into agreement.
concise
concise (kun SYSE) adj brief and to the point; succinct
The scientist’s explanation was concise; it was brief and it helped us understand a dificult concept.
To be concise is to say much with few words. A concise speaker is one who speaks concisely or with concision.
compose
compose (kum POZE) v to make up
Players constitute or compose a team, and employees constitute or compose a company.
concord
concord (KAHN kord) n harmony; agreement
Nations that live in concord are nations that live together in peace.
concurrent
concurrent (kun KUR unt) adj happnieng at hte same time: parallel
condescend
condescend (KAHN duh send) v to stoop to someone else’s level, usually in an offensive way; to patronize
I was surprised that the president of the company condescended to talk to me, a mere temporary employee.
condone
condone (KUN DOHN) v to overlook, to permit to happen.
To condone what someone does is to look the other way while it happens or to permit it to happen by not doing something about it.
The high school principal condoned smoking by simply ignoring it.
conducive
conducive (kun DOO siv) adj promoting
The foul weather was not conducive to having a picnic.
confluence
confluence (KAHN floo uns) n a flowing together, especially of rivers; the place where they begin to flow together
A confluence of many factors (no ice, bad food, terrible music) made it inevitable the party would be flop.
congenial
congenial (kun JEEN yul) adj agreeably suitable; pleasant
The new restaurant has a congenial atmosphere.
discord
disharmony
congenital
congenital (kun JEN uh tul) adj describing a trait or condition acquired between conception and birth; innate
Also used to used to describe any trait or behavior that is so firmly fixed it seems to part of a person’s nature.
A congenital liar is a natural liar, who can’t help but lie.
congregate
congregate (KAHN grih gayt) v to come together
Protester chose to congregate on the plaza.
conjecture
conjecture (kun JEK chur) v to guess; to deduce or infer on slight evidence
If forced to conjecture, I would say he is guilty.
Could also be a noun.
Example: The divorce lawyer declared the lipstick-makes-you-guilty-of-adultery thinking to be conjecture.
