Word List 41

Question 1

bugaboo

Answer 1

an imaginary object of fear
something that causes fear or distress out of proportion to its importance

e.g. Doing one’s tax returns are a real bugaboo for some people.

Question 2

bullion

Answer 2

uncoined gold or silver in bars in ingots

Question 3

bumble

Answer 3

buzz
drone, rumble
 blunder; especially, to speak ineptly in a stuttering and faltering manner
to proceed unsteadily; stumble 
bungle 

e.g. bumble through two years of college

Question 4

buxom

Answer 4

vigorously or healthily plump; specially, full-bosomed

Question 5

cachet

Answer 5

an indication of approval carrying great prestige
prestige

e.g. a movie director with great artistic cachet

Question 6

canard

Answer 6

a false or unfounded report or story
a groundless rumor or belief

e.g. the widespread canard that every lawyer is dishonest

Question 7

canker

Answer 7

an erosive or spreading sore
a source of corruption or debasement
to infect with a pervasive and corrupting bitterness

e.g. Racism remains a canker at the heart of the nation.
He hated her with a cankered, shameful abhorrence.

Question 8

capacious

Answer 8

containing or capable of containing a great deal

e.g. a capacious trunk

Question 9

caper

Answer 9

to leap or prance about in a playful manner

e.g. As summer drew to a close, the children spent their days wistfully capering on the beach.

Question 10

capitation

Answer 10

a direct uniform tax imposed on each head or person; poll tax

Question 11

capsize

Answer 11

to cause to overturn
to become upset or overturned; turn over

e.g. a flood that capsized the canoe

Question 12

careen

Answer 12

to lean sideways
to cause a ship to lean
to sway from side to side; lurch

e.g. The sled careened as it barreled down the hill.
He careened unsteadily to the couch after hitting his head.

Question 13

carnage

Answer 13

great and usually blood slaughter or injury

e.g. The appalling carnage in that war-torn country requires that the outside world intervene.

Question 14

cavalcade

Answer 14

a procession of riders or carriages
a dramatic sequence or procession; series

e.g. a cavalcade of natural disasters

Question 15

celerity

Answer 15

rapidity of motion or action

e.g. a journalist who writes his well-crafted stories with remarkable celerity

Question 16

cephalic

Answer 16

of or relating to the head

directed toward or situated on or in or near the head

Question 17

chasten

Answer 17

to correct by punishment or suffering; discipline
refine
to cause to be more humble or restrained; subdue

e.g. The unexpected loss to a second-rate player really chastened the tournament’s top-seeded tennis star.

Question 18

checkered

Answer 18

marked by alternation or contrast of fortune; especially, marked by many problems or failures

e.g. a checkered career with many ups and downs
trying prevent discovery of his checkered past

Question 19

chortle

Answer 19

to sing or chant exultantly

to laugh or chuckle especially in satisfaction or exultation

Question 20

cineast

Answer 20

a devotee of motion pictures; also, moviemaker

Question 21

coffer

Answer 21

check; especially, strongbox
treasury, funds (usually used in pl.)

e.g. kept in a locked coffer
the household coffers

Question 22

cognate

Answer 22

of the same of similar nature; generically alike
related by blood
related by descent from the same ancestral language

e.g. English “eat” and German “essen” are cognate.
Spanish and French are cognate languages.

Question 23

cognomen

Answer 23

surname; especially, the third of usually three names borne by a male citizen of ancient Rome
name; especially, a distinguishing nickname or epithet

e.g. richly deserved the cognomen of “butterfingers”

Question 24

colloquy

Answer 24

conversation, dialogue
a high-level serious discussion; conference

e.g. a colloquy on economic globalization

Question 25

colt

Answer 25

a young male horse
a young untried person

e.g. a colt who looked to the team’s more experienced players for advice

Question 26

comestible

Answer 26

edible

(oft. pl.) food

Question 27

complicity

Answer 27

association or participation in or as if in a wrongful act
an instance of complicity

e.g. no proof of her complicity in the murder

Question 28

comport

Answer 28

to be fitting; accord
behave

e.g. actions that comport with policy
The grieving relatives comported themselves with grace and dignity during that difficult time.

Question 29

concoct

Answer 29

to prepare by combining raw materials
devise, fabricate

e.g. concoct a drink
concoct an explanation

Question 30

condign

Answer 30

deserved, appropriate

e.g. A suspension without pay is condign punishment for breaking the company’s code of business ethics.

Question 31

condor

Answer 31

a very large bird

Question 32

confidant

Answer 32

one to whom secrets are entrusted; especially, intimate

Question 33

congenital

Answer 33

existing at or dating from birth
inherent

e.g. congenital heart diseases
congenital fear of snakes / congenital liar

Question 34

conjugal

Answer 34

of or relating to married state or married persons and their relations; connubial

e.g. newlyweds still in a rapturous state of conjugal happiness

Question 35

connubial

Answer 35

of or relating to the married state; conjugal

Question 36

consort

Answer 36

spouse 
associate; association
group, assembly 
 unite, associate 
accord, harmonize 

e.g. He ruled in consort with his father.
a consort of specialists
consorting with criminals
The illustrations consort admirably.

Question 37

conspectus

Answer 37

a usually brief survey or summary often providing an overall view
outline, synopsis

e.g. a book that could serve as a conspectus of the work thus far on the development of artificial intelligence

Question 38

constringe

Answer 38

to cause to shrink
constrict

e.g. a styptic pencil stops the bleeding by constringing the small blood vessels at the site of cut

Question 39

contumacy

Answer 39

stubborn resistance to authority; specifically, willful contempt of court

e.g. a rogue archbishop who was excommunicated on grounds of contumacy

Question 40

contumely

Answer 40

harsh language or treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt; also, an instance of such language or treatment

e.g. For some time, he did not make a single convert, and gained nothing but contumely and abuse.

Question 41

convoy

Answer 41

accompany; especially, to escort for protection

e.g. Police and FBI agents convoyed the president.

Question 42

cordial

Answer 42

tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate
sincerely or deeply felt; warmly and genially affable
a stimulating medicine or drink

e.g. bottles full of excellent cordial water
a cordial dislike for each other
cordial relations

Question 43

corny

Answer 43

mawkishly old-fashioned; tiresomely simple and sentimental

e.g. corny jokes

Question 44

corpulent

Answer 44

obese

Question 45

corpus

Answer 45

a collection of writings, conversations, speeches, etc., that people use to study and describe a language
a collection of poems, paintings, songs, etc.

e.g. a computerized corpus of English
Jane Austin’s corpus is modest in number but magnificent in achievement.

Question 46

coruscate

Answer 46

to give off or reflect light in bright beams or flashes; sparkle
to be brilliant or showy in technique or style

e.g. a classic car from the 1950s, replete with yards of coruscating chrome

Question 47

crag

Answer 47

a steep rugged rock or cliff

Question 48

credo

Answer 48

creed

e.g. The credo of the ancient Egyptians involved a variety of polytheism.

Question 49

crepuscular

Answer 49

of, relating to, or resembling twilight; dim
occurring or active during twilight

e.g. crepuscular light
crepuscular insects/activity

Question 50

croon

Answer 50

to sing or speak in a murmuring manner

e.g. The mother crooned as she rocked the baby.

Question 51

crotchety

Answer 51

subject to whims, crankiness, or ill temper

Question 52

crypt

Answer 52

a chamber (as a vault) wholly or partly underground; especially, a vault under the main floor of a church

Question 53

currish

Answer 53

ignoble
resembling a cur; mongrel

e.g. prone to currish acts of violence

Question 54

curvaceous

Answer 54

having or suggesting the curves of a well-proportioned feminine figure; broadly, having a smoothly curving shape

e.g. a curvaceous actress
a curvaceous coastline

Question 55

cynosure

Answer 55

(cap.) north star
one that serves to direct or guide
a center of attraction or attention

e.g. an unwavering commitment to equal rights for all as his only cynosure
That company is the cynosure for anyone wishing to make it in the music business.

Question 56

dalliance

Answer 56

play; especially, amorous play
frivolous action; trifling

e.g. an extremely serious scientist who is not much given to dalliance or idle chichat

Question 57

dank

Answer 57

unpleasantly moist or wet

e.g. a dank cellar

Question 58

dastard

Answer 58

coward

a person who acts treacherously or underhandedly

Question 59

daub

Answer 59

to cover or coat with soft adhesive matter; plaster
to apply coloring material crudely to

e.g. He daubed some cologne on his neck.
Daub the potatoes with a little butter.
Various political slogans had been daubed on the walls.

Question 60

debar

Answer 60

to bar from having or doing something; preclude

e.g. The judge debarred all of the reporters from the courtroom.

Question 61

debility

Answer 61

weakness, infirmity

e.g. The disease leads to debility but rarely kills.

Question 62

debonair

Answer 62

suave, urbane
lighthearted, nonchalant

e.g. a debonair man in a suit and top hat
His debonair dismissal of my inquiry concerning his financial situation led me to believe that nothing was wrong.

Question 63

decamp

Answer 63

to break a camp

to depart suddenly; abscond