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English > Perdido Street Station 1 > Flashcards

Perdido Street Station 1 Flashcards

1
Q

unflagging

A

tireless, persistent e.g. his apparently unflagging enthusiasm impressed her.

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2
Q

hovel

A

a small shed or dwelling, often messy, cramped, and crudely built, such as a shelter in a refugee camp e.g. people were living in rat-infested hovels.

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3
Q

lurch

A

make an abrupt, unsteady, uncontrolled movement or series of movements; stagger e.g. the boat’s lamp light suddenly lurched

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4
Q

tug

A

pull hard or suddenly

2. tow a ship by a tugboat

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5
Q

tow

A

(of a motor vehicle or boat) pull (another vehicle or boat) along with a rope, chain, or tow bar e.g. a pickup van towing a trailer

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6
Q

hitch

[v./n.]

A
  1. move (something) into a different position with a jerk e.g. she hitched up her skirt and ran.
  2. fasten or tether e.g. a horse
  3. a temporary difficulty or problem e.g. everything went without a hitch.
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7
Q

to well

A

come up as of a liquid

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8
Q

debase

A
  1. reduce in quality, degrade, corrupt

2. lower the moral character of people e.g. war debases people.

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9
Q

stench

[n.]

A

a strong obnoxious smell e.g. rotting fish

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10
Q

awning

A

markíza

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11
Q

warren

A

a complex of [rabbit] tunnels underground

2. a densely populated or labyrinthine building or district e.g. a warren of narrow gas-lit streets.

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12
Q

eaves

A

pretŕčajúca strecha e.g. wild bees nest under the eaves.

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13
Q

gob

A

a lump of a viscous or slimy substance e.g. a gob of phlegm.

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14
Q

hegemony

A

leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others e.g. Germany was united under Prussian hegemony after 1871.
(greek: hegemon = leader)

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15
Q

behemoth

[bi-hee-moth]

A

a huge or monstrous creature
2. something enormous especially and organisation e.g. shoppers are now more loyal to their local shops than to faceless behemoths.

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16
Q

circumspect

A

wary and unwilling to take risks e.g. the officials were very circumspect in their statements.
A good quality in someone entrusted with responsibility, though sometimes boring in a friend.
(latin: circumspicere “to be cautious, to look around”

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17
Q

circumscribe

A

limit or restrict

latin: “write around”

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18
Q

circumvent

A
  1. find a way around (an obstacle) e.g. if you come to an obstruction in a road you can seek to circumvent it.
  2. overcome (a problem or difficulty) in a clever and surreptitious way e.g. it was always possible to circumvent the regulations.
    (latin: venire = to come, circum = around)
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19
Q

a small shed or dwelling, often messy, cramped, and crudely built, such as a shelter in a refugee camp

A

hovel

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20
Q

leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others

A

hegemony

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21
Q
  1. a complex of interconnected rabbit burrows and tunnels underground
  2. a densely populated or labyrinthine building or district
A

warren

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22
Q

come up as of a liquid

A

to well

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23
Q

pretŕčajúca strecha

A

eaves

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24
Q

markíza

A

awning

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25
Q

make an abrupt, unsteady, uncontrolled movement or series of movements; stagger

A

lurch

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26
Q

tireless, persistent

A

unflagging

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27
Q

limit or restrict

A

circumscribe

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28
Q

a lump of a viscous or slimy substance

A

a gob

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29
Q
  1. find a way around (an obstacle)

2. overcome (a problem or difficulty) in a clever and surreptitious way

A

circumvent

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30
Q

a strong obnoxious smell

A

stench

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31
Q

pull hard or suddenly

2. tow a ship

A

tug

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32
Q
  1. move (something) into a different position with a jerk
  2. fasten or tether e.g. a horse
  3. a temporary difficulty or problem
A

hitch

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33
Q

Wary and unwilling to take risks

- A good quality in someone entrusted with responsibility, though sometimes boring in a friend.

A

circumspect

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34
Q

a huge or monstrous creature

2. something enormous especially and organisation

A

behemoth

[bi-hee-moth]

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35
Q
  1. reduce in quality, degrade, corrupt

2. lower the moral character of people

A

debase

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36
Q

(of a motor vehicle or boat) pull (another vehicle or boat) along with a rope, chain, or tow bar (to medzi autami)

A

tow

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37
Q

putter

A
  1. golf - ten čo patuje
  2. the rapid intermittent sound of a small petrol engine e.g. the putter of an old aeroplane - ako the Neverhood “put-put-PUT”
  3. move with or make a puttering sound e.g. barges puttered slowly through the water.
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38
Q

eddy / eddies

A
  1. a circular movement of water causing a small whirlpool e.g. the current was forming foam-lipped eddies along the bank
    e. g. eddies of controversy swirled around his theories.
  2. a circular movement of wind, fog, or smoke e.g. an eddy of chill air swirled into the carriage.
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39
Q

choppy

A
  1. (of a sea, lake, or river) having many small waves e.g. sea conditions are often very choppy.
    2 having a disjointed or jerky quality e.g. the choppy beat of electronica
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40
Q

ornery

A
  1. Grumpy and hard to please. Oscar the Grouch? Definitely ornery.
    cantankerous and crotchety
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41
Q

crotchety

A

difficult, irritable, and ornery. If you’re crotchety, you complain and argue and are more or less miserable to be around.

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42
Q

witter

A

speak at length about trivial matters, babble e.g. she’d been wittering on about Jennifer and her illness.

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43
Q

ken

A

one’s range of knowledge or understanding e.g. politics are beyond my ken.
The noun ken means “range of vision or comprehension.” If quantum mechanics is beyond your ken, you don’t understand it, or it is beyond your scope of knowledge.

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44
Q

wen

A
  1. a sebaceous cyst especially on the head

2. a large, overcrowded city

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45
Q

barrow

A

a two-wheeled handcart used especially by street vendors e.g. they sell fruit from market barrows.

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46
Q

spoke

A

each of the bars or wire rods connecting the centre of a wheel to its outer edge.
to na bicykli

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47
Q

desultory

A

lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm e.g. a few people were left, dancing in a desultory fashion.

  1. occurring randomly or occasionally e.g. trees
  2. (of conversation or speech) going from one subject to another in a half-hearted way e.g. the desultory conversation faded.
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48
Q

tally

A

a continuous count of something, like the number of words in a document, or the number of favors your best friend owes you. To tally is to add up, like keeping the score of a game.

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49
Q

costermonger

A

a person who sells goods, especially fruit and vegetables, from a handcart in the street.

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50
Q

unctuous

[unk-chuous]

A

(of a person): oily, smarmy or overly flattering, slimy. When a person is unctuous, you can’t trust their kindness, because they usually want something in return.

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51
Q

obsequious

[ob-see-kvi-ous]

A

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree e.g. they were served by obsequious waiters.

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52
Q

wheedle

A

use endearments or flattery to persuade someone to do something or give one something e.g.she wheedled her way on to the guest list

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53
Q

ingratiating

A

making a calculated move to suck up and win your somebody’s favour.
sycophantic
(latin: in “favour, grace”)

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54
Q

sycophantic

[syh-co-fentic]

A

using flattery to get what you want

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55
Q

smarmy

A

ingratiating and wheedling in a way that is regarded as insincere, fake or excessive e.g. a smarmy, unctuous reply.
(smarm was a verb that described smearing the hair with pomade, which makes it look shiny and slick.)
A smarmy car salesman will compliment your outfit and your hair and your taste in cars, always with an unpleasant falseness.

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56
Q

fawning

A

displaying exaggerated flattery or affection; obsequious e.g. a fawning adoration
- menej slizký význam, skôr flattery a servility

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57
Q
  1. golf - ten čo patuje
  2. the rapid intermittent sound of a small petrol engine
  3. move with or make a puttering sound
A

putter

[v./n.]

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58
Q

Grumpy and hard to please, cantankerous and crotchety

A

ornery

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59
Q
  1. (of a sea, lake, or river) having many small waves

2 having a disjointed or jerky quality

A

choppy

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60
Q
  1. a circular movement of water causing a small whirlpool

2. a circular movement of wind, fog, or smoke

A

eddy

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61
Q

one’s range of knowledge or understanding

A

ken

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62
Q

speak at length about trivial matters, babble

A

witter

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63
Q

difficult, irritable, and ornery. If you’re […] you complain and argue and are more or less miserable to be around.

A

crotchety

[croh-che-ty]

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64
Q

lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm

  1. occurring randomly or occasionally
  2. (of conversation or speech) going from one subject to another in a half-hearted way
A

desultory

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65
Q
  1. a sebaceous cyst especially on the head

2. a large, overcrowded city

A

wen

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66
Q

bars or wire rods connecting the centre of a wheel to its outer edge.
to na bicykli

A

spokes

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67
Q

a two-wheeled handcart used especially by street vendors

A

barrow

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68
Q

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree

A

obsequious

[ob-see-kvi-ous]

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69
Q

a person who sells goods, especially fruit and vegetables, from a handcart in the street.

A

costermonger

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70
Q

a continuous count of something, like the number of words in a document, or the number of favors your best friend owes you. To […] is to add up, like keeping the score of a game.

A

tally

n./v.

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71
Q

use endearments or flattery to persuade someone to do something or give one something

A

wheedle

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72
Q

(of a person): oily, smarmy or overly flattering, slimy.

A

unctuous

[unk-chuous]

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73
Q

using flattery to get what you want

A

sycophantic
[syh-co-fentic]
(greek: showing figs)

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74
Q

ingratiating and wheedling in a way that is regarded as insincere, fake or excessive e.g. car salesman

A

smarmy

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75
Q

displaying exaggerated flattery or affection; obsequious e.g. an adoration
- menej slizký význam, skôr flattery a servility

A

fawning

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76
Q

making a calculated move to suck up and win your somebody’s favour.
sycophantic

A

ingratiating

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77
Q

profane

A
  1. offensive and not respectful, irreverent, especially of religious practice e.g. a profane person might be tempted to violate the tomb.
    (latin: profanus = unholy)
  2. vulgar (language), obscene
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78
Q

derisory

A
  1. ridiculously small or inadequate: they were given a derisory pay rise.
  2. another term for derisive = expressing contempt or ridicule e.g. he gave a harsh, derisive laugh.
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79
Q

sacrilege

A

violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred, blasphemy

If you show up to an animal rights rally with a bucket full of fried chicken for lunch, you may be accused of committing sacrilege.

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80
Q

virago

A

a bossy, domineering, violent, or bad-tempered woman

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81
Q

taut

A

stretched or pulled tight; not slack, tense (muscles)

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82
Q

slack

A
  1. not taut or held tightly in position; loose e.g. a slack rope e.g. eir mouth went slack.
  2. lazy, negligent, slow
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83
Q

prophylactic

A

intended to prevent disease e.g. prophylactic measures.

greek: prophulaktikos = to guard before

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84
Q

mote

A

a tiny piece of a substance; a speck e.g. the tiniest mote of dust.

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85
Q

segue

[segway]

A

A smooth transition. When you segue in conversation, you change the topic so smoothly that people might not even notice.

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86
Q
  1. ridiculously small or inadequate

2. expressing contempt or ridicule

A

derisory

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87
Q
  1. offensive and not respectful, irreverent, especially of religious practice
  2. vulgar (language), obscene
A

profane

[pro-FEJN]

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88
Q

violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred, blasphemy

A

sacrilege

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89
Q

stretched or pulled tight; tense (muscles)

A

taut

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90
Q

a bossy, domineering, violent, or bad-tempered woman

A

a virago

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91
Q
  1. not taut or held tightly in position; loose

2. lazy, negligent, slow

A

slack

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92
Q

intended to prevent disease

A

prophylactic

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93
Q

a tiny piece of a substance; a speck

A

a mote

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94
Q

A smooth transition.

A

segue

[segway]

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95
Q

pariah

A

an unliked outcast, usually soundly (rightly) rejected

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96
Q

denounce

A

publicly declare to be wrong or evil, speak out against e.g. the Assembly denounced the use of violence

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97
Q

beyond the pale

A

Beyond the acceptable, improper, unseemly

e.g. her language used to be beyond the pale

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98
Q

ostracise

A

expel from a community or a group

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99
Q

splay

A

spread open or apart e.g. Lin splayed her headlegs

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100
Q

nigh

A

(old-fashioned) near or nearly

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101
Q

bandy

A

toss many ideas around without focusing on just one, brainstorm
2. hit and blow like in a professional fight

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102
Q

stubby

A

thick and short like stubby fingers or stubby remains of your favourite colouring pencil

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103
Q

salubrious

A

healthy, health-giving

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104
Q

gaudy

A

showy, bright, tacky, tawdry (tasteless, cheap)

e.g. a gaudy jacket in a gaudy Vietnamese shop

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105
Q

scamper

A

move hurriedly, sometimes in a disorderly haste e.g. she scampered through the street scamper on the first day of school

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106
Q

furtive

A

secretive and sly like a thief e.g. Lyra caught her furtive look

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107
Q

peter

v.

A

decrease or fade gradually before coming to an end e.g.

the storm had petered out

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108
Q

mottled

A

having spots or patches of different colours

origin: motley of colours

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109
Q

retch

A

make the sound and convulsion of vomiting, spasm (either followed by vomiting or not) e.g. with a sudden retch he vomited on the floor

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110
Q

trickle

A

(of water) flow slowly out and not much

e.g. the shower was trickling; it was trickling outside

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111
Q

spire

A

a pointed cone shape on top of a building

old english: spir = to sprout, shoot

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112
Q

shackle

A

a restraint either physical or mental, especially of prisoners (cuffs and leg irons/chains = fetters)
e.g. ignorance is a shackle of the mind

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113
Q

shambles

A

a huge mess, disorder
e.g. the hospital was left in shambles
also a slaughterhouse

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114
Q

shamble

v.

A

walk in a slow manner dragging one’s feet usually for elderly or sad people
e.g. depressed, he shambled trough the streets aimlessly

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115
Q

insinuate

A
  1. ) suggest or hint (something bad) in an indirect and unpleasant way e.g. he was insinuating that she slept her way to the top
  2. ) (insinuate oneself into) manoeuvre oneself into a favourable position by subtle manipulation e.g. he insinuated himself into the king’s confidence.
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116
Q

expel from a community or a group

A

ostracise

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117
Q

healthy, health-giving

A

salubrious

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118
Q

Beyond the acceptable, improper, unseemly

A

beyond the pale

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119
Q

publicly declare to be wrong or evil, speak out against

A

denounce

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120
Q

secretive and sly like a thief

A

furtive

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121
Q

an unliked outcast, usually soundly (rightly) rejected

A

pariah

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122
Q

spread open or apart (especially limbs)

A

splay

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123
Q

thick and short like fingers or remains of your favourite colouring pencil

A

stubby

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124
Q

(old-fashioned) near or nearly

A

nigh

125
Q
  1. toss many ideas around without focusing on just one, brainstorm
  2. hit and blow like in a professional fight
A

bandy

126
Q

showy, bright, tacky, tawdry (tasteless, cheap)

A

gaudy

127
Q

move hurriedly, sometimes in a disorderly haste

A

scamper

128
Q

decrease or fade gradually before coming to an end

A

peter

v.

129
Q

(of water) flow slowly out and not much

A

trickle

130
Q

make the sound and convulsion of vomiting, spasm (either followed by vomiting or not)

A

retch

131
Q

having spots or patches of different colours

A

mottled

132
Q
  1. ) suggest or hint (something bad) in an indirect and unpleasant way
  2. ) (insinuate oneself into) manoeuvre oneself into a favourable position by subtle manipulation
A

insinuate

133
Q

a pointed cone shape on top of a building

A

spire

134
Q

a restraint either physical or mental, especially of prisoners (cuffs and leg irons/chains = fetters)

A

shackle

135
Q
  1. a huge mess, disorder

2. a slaughterhouse

A

shambles

136
Q

walk in a slow manner dragging one’s feet usually for elderly or sad people

A

to shamble

137
Q

acrid

A

pungent and extremely unpleasant
(mostly used with smell)
metaphorically: acrid sneer, manners = harsh, nasty, derisive

138
Q

riddance

A

getting rid of something

phrase: “Good riddance!” when happy about it

139
Q

waft

v.

A

a movement through air: when Zelda cooks, many wonderful smells waft from the kitchen, the air gently carries the aroma through the house.

140
Q

tumbledown

A

(buildings): dilapidated, in ruins

141
Q

perfunctory

A

carried out without real interest or feeling, customary

e.g. a perfunctory “thank you” or a smile

142
Q

giddy

A

having a whirling sensation, staggering, dizzy, nauseated e.g. from spinning around
2.) excited, super elated, light-hearted

143
Q

sundry

adj./n.

A

adj. : various, like in a haphazard mix of things

n. : a variety of things not important enough to be mentioned separately

144
Q

tenacious

A

stubbornly unyielding e.g. a child holding their mother’s hand

145
Q

flagstone

A

a flat stone used for paving e.g. streets

146
Q

scrub

n.

A

a dense thicket of stunted (smaller) trees

147
Q

graft

A
  1. transplanted tissue e.g. skin, organ or a plant shoot

2. bribery, corruption

148
Q

trough

[tra-ff]

A

a long narrow receptacle for feeding animals

2.) ten tvar krmitka (matika…)

149
Q

surly

A

irritable, full of menace, like the old guy who always sneers at children

150
Q

curmudgeon

A

a surly, cranky (irritable) cantakerous person with stubborn ideas

151
Q

indolent

A

disinclined to work, lazy e.g. an indolent teenager takes a long time to crawl out officials the bed

152
Q

retort

A

a quick reply to a question or remark, usually a critical or a witty one

e. g. dining, she bit her tongue and swallowed the retort aimed at her father-in-law
2. a vessel for distillation

153
Q

pique

v./n.

A
  • make angry, annoy
  • pique interest = arouse, stimulate, excite
  • n.: a sudden outburst of anger
154
Q

obfuscatory

A

evasive, unclear, obscure e.g. defense lawyers and teengers when asked by their parents about their Friday night plans
obfuscate

155
Q

shanty

A

a small crude dwelling, similar to hovel

also a rhytmical work song originally sung by sailors

156
Q

exhume

A

dig up a corpse (for reburial or medical reasons for example)

157
Q

makeshift

A

improvised, temporary e.g. a makeshift pyjamas or a makeshift bed made of cardboard

158
Q

lurid

A

glaringly vivid and graphic or marked by sensationalism, shocking e.g. please spare me the lurid (gory) details Lin
2.) vividly bright in colour with a unnatural or harsh effect

159
Q

livid

A
  1. ) furious

2. ) bluish-gray (ominously) e.g. skin or sky

160
Q

deploy

A
  1. ) plave troops or weapons into military formation

2. ) distribute strategically or systematically e.g. the food was deployed to the poor during the recession

161
Q

supplant

A

take the place of e.g. Jessie supplanted Kate as the comedian of the class

162
Q

ineluctable

A

inescapable, unavoidable, irresistible

163
Q

querulous

A

whiny, having tendency to complian e.g. customers

164
Q

impresario

A

person or a sponsor who books, promotes, advertises and organises events

165
Q

hawk

other n./v. meanings

A
  1. ) sell or offer for sale from place to place e.g. he hawked the paintings at various expositions
  2. ) mucus or food from one’s throat e.g. he hawked a green gob/hawk into the sewer
166
Q

sidle

A

walk in a casual, quiet and a bit sneaky, furtive way e.g. he sidled up to them and said Boo!
- also walk sideways

167
Q

to angle for smth.

A

If someone is angling for something, they are trying to get something without asking for it directly:
He’s clearly angling for a job/an invitation.

168
Q

kudos

A

praise, renown (fame and acclaim), commendation (to commend: express approval aloud: “yeah! amazing! run!”)

169
Q

conduit

A

a pipe for the transport of water or wire for electricity
used also metaphorically:
e.g. she was a proper conduit of illicit information in the city

170
Q

ream

A

a large quantity of somethings, especially of paper: reams of paper were stacked in small tower-piles

171
Q

cretin

A

kretén

172
Q

ingenuous

A

showing childlike innocence and openness

173
Q

venereal

A

relating to sexual intercourse e.g. a venereal disease

174
Q

disingenuous

A

not totally honest or sincere e.g. it is disingenuous when people pretend to know less than they really do
- giving a false appearance of frankness, not candid (straightforward and truthful)

175
Q

drab

A

dull, dreary, dingy (dirty) e.g. colours, mood

176
Q

renege
[ri-neg]
(g ako gaga)

A

go back on (=fail to keep or do) a promise or word e.g. she reneged her tradition and started working with the half-dried colours

177
Q

mongrel

A

derogatory term for a mix in terms of breeds or race e.g. a mongrel cat
- also something of a dubious origin

178
Q

tremulous

A

shaky or quivering from fear or lack of strentgh e.g. her antennae moved tremulously

179
Q

cloven

A

split or divided into two e.g. a cloven hoof

180
Q

reproach

A

mildly criticise e.g. granny reproached the children for not eating “properly”

181
Q

despondent

A

discouraged, very sad and without hope
often followed by over or about: she was despondent over/about the loss of job
(latin: despondere “to lose courage, give up”)

182
Q

candor

A

open, honest and sincere

  • You are dumb!
  • While I certainly appreciate your candor I think we ought not be friends anymore.
183
Q

scour

A

examine closely e.g. We scour the skies of birds

- also rub or scrub

184
Q

stilted

A

unnaturaly formal, especially language - speaking or writing

stilts = vysoké drevené chodúle

185
Q

flout

A

scorn (show contempt for), disregard e.g. she flouts the rules

186
Q

to steel oneself

A

get ready for something difficult or unpleasant e.g. ey steeled emself before the injection

187
Q

emaciate

A

grow weak and thin, waste away physically e.g. she emaciated due to chemotherapy

188
Q

prosaic

A

ordinary, dull; lacking imagination e.g. prosaic everyday life

189
Q

spellbound

A

transfixed (attention held as of by a spell), mesmerised, hypnotised
e.g. ey watched the film spellbound

190
Q

contraption

A

a device very useful for a specific purpose = a gizmo

e.g. the vacuum cleaner

191
Q

sciolist

A

an amateur who pretends to have expertise

192
Q

penitent

A

deeply sorry, full with remorse, ashamed

- unsurprisingly often in (but not restricted to) religious context
latin: paenitere = to repent

193
Q

horseplay

A

rough, rowdy (boisterous), vaguely dangerous kind of fun like pushing each other into the pool

194
Q

slapstick

A

horseplay type of humour, a boisterous comedy with simple practical jokes like embarassing events and deliberately clumsy actions
- ako stúpenie na hrable = slap + stick

195
Q

annex

v/n

A
  • attach to

- a part of a building that attaches to another; an extension e.g. an attic or a new smaller room used as winter garden

196
Q

deface

A

blemish (flaw), spoil, disfigure e.g. graffitti deface buildings

197
Q

squabble

A

a small and not serious quarrel about petty things - family members squabble all the time

198
Q

guffaw

[g-faw]

A

a true belly laugh that bubbles up with plenty of volume

zachvat smiechu, riadny smiech

199
Q

gloaming

A

the time of day immediately following sunset - ey perched emself on the cliff and lurched into the gloaming

200
Q

immolate

A

destroy/kill as a sacrifice, often using fire, to a “higher cause”

  • the Aztects immolated people
  • some Buddhists monks immolated themselves as a protest to WW2
    (latin: immolare = sprinkled with sacrificial meal [wheat sprinkled on the heads of people to be sacrificed])
201
Q

respite

A
  • a break, time-out
  • temporary relief from something unpleasant or diffucult or harmful; a reprieve e.g. have a respite from that exam cramming!
202
Q

pelt

n/v

A
  1. ) animal’s skin, fur

2. ) throw missiles or bombard - they were pelted with stones

203
Q

scourge

[sk-uh-rge]

A

something causing misery and death (a bane)

  • a whip / to whip
    e. g. the lands were scourged by plague and fires
204
Q

inveigle

A

use charm to coax someone; to wheedle - ey was inveigled to drive them right before their frontdoor

205
Q

scant

adj./v

A
  1. ) a tiny amount
  2. ) less than the “correct” or legal amount - a scant cup of sugar
  3. ) to limit in quality or quantity
206
Q

strut

A

prance (walk i lofty arrogant way); walk in a proud swagger with a bit od arrogance thrown in

207
Q

heretic

A

a person holding unorthodox opinions in any field

- though very often used with religion: a misbeliever; a religious outcast

208
Q

incarcerate

A

lock up; jail; put in prison

209
Q

tangential

A

of superfitial relevance; digressive or additional and nor needed e.g. she told a tangential story that bore everyone

210
Q

flippant

A

casual to the point of disrespect or sarcasm
showing inappropriate levity
- he regreted his flippant response made without much forethought

211
Q

dank

A

unpleasantly cool and humid

- a dank cellar

212
Q

beatific

[bí-e-tific]

A

showing a peaceful sense of true celestial joy or bliss; as id resembling a benign angel

213
Q

semblance

A

an illusion deliberately misleading e.g. a semblance of order in a tennagers room when all the mess is crammed in the closet
.
(from resemble)

214
Q

pugnacity

A

a natural predisposition to be hostile, aggressive

pugnacious = eager to fight = belligerent; callous and rough

215
Q

svelte

A
  1. ) elegantly slender
  2. ) showing a hig degree of refinement and assurance that comes from wide social experience; sophisticated, cultured and polished (=urbane)
    e. g. she is enviously svelte - how does she do it?
216
Q

proselytise

A

try to persuade someone to switch to [your] religion (or way of living)
- the Jehovah disciples proselytise people

217
Q

rancour

[ran-kr]

A

a feeling of deep ill will and bitter anger e.g. she apologised but he waved her off without rancour

218
Q

impasse

A

a dead end; a situation without the hopes of progress

- the research fell into an impasse

219
Q

portent

A

a sign of something about to happen; an omen (more often negative) - the portent crows in the sky

220
Q

milieu

[mil-ju]

A

the surrounding culture, family, friends, environment

- she felt so isolated in her own milieu

221
Q

acrid

A

pungent and extremely unpleasant
(mostly used with smell)
metaphorically: acrid sneer, manners = harsh, nasty, derisive

222
Q

nonplussed

A

bewildered, speechless, puzzled, baffled, confused

223
Q

truncated

A

cut short

  • he said the story in a truncated form
    2. ) suddenly ending, unplanned cut
  • a truncated vacation
224
Q

seedy

A

sleazy, run-down, shabby, worn-out

e.g. the seedy circus

225
Q

titillate

A

excite, especially in a sensual or sexual way

e.g. the smell titilates her taste buds

226
Q

getting rid of something

A

riddance

227
Q

a movement through air

A

waft

n/v

228
Q

(buildings): dilapidated, in ruins

A

tumbledown

229
Q

carried out without real interest or feeling, customary

A

perfunctory

230
Q

having a whirling sensation, staggering, dizzy, nauseated e.g. from spinning around
2.) excited, super elated, light-hearted

A

giddy

231
Q

adj. : various, like in a haphazard mix of things

n. : a variety of things not important enough to be mentioned separately

A

sundry

adj./n

232
Q

stubbornly unyielding, like a child

A

tenacious

233
Q

a flat stone used for paving e.g. streets

A

flagstone

234
Q

a dense thicket of stunted (smaller) trees

A

scrub

235
Q
  1. transplanted tissue e.g. skin, organ or a plant shoot

2. bribery, corruption

A

graft

236
Q

a long narrow receptacle for feeding animals

2.) ten tvar krmitka (matika…)

A

trough

[tra-ff]

237
Q

irritable, full of menace, like the old guy who always sneers at children

A

surly

238
Q

a surly, cranky (irritable) cantakerous person with stubborn ideas

A

curmudgeon

239
Q

disinclined to work, lazy, avoiding work

A

indolent

240
Q
  1. a quick reply to a question or remark, usually a critical or a witty one
  2. a vessel for distillation
A

retort

241
Q
  • make angry, annoy
  • arouse, stimulate, excite
  • noun: a sudden outburst of anger
A

pique

242
Q

evasive, unclear, obscure e.g. defense lawyers and teenagers when asked by their parents about their Friday night plans

A

obfuscatory

243
Q

a small crude dwelling, similar to hovel

also a rhytmical work song originally sung by sailors

A

shanty

244
Q

dig up a corpse (for reburial or medical reasons for example)

A

exhume

245
Q

improvised, temporary

A

makeshift

246
Q
  1. ) glaringly vivid and graphic or marked by sensationalism, shocking
  2. ) vividly bright in colour with a unnatural or harsh effect
A

lurid

247
Q
  1. ) furious

2. ) bluish-gray (ominously) e.g. skin or sky

A

livid

248
Q

.) plave troops or weapons into military formation

2.) distribute strategically or systematically e.g. the food to the poor during a recession

A

deploy

249
Q

take the place of

A

supplant

250
Q

inescapable, unavoidable, irresistible

A

ineluctable

251
Q

whiny, having a petulant tendency to complain e.g. customers

A

querulous

252
Q

person or a sponsor who books, promotes, advertises and organises events

A

impresario

253
Q
  1. ) sell or offer for sale from place to place e.g. paintings at various expositions
  2. ) mucus or food from one’s throat
A

hawk

254
Q

walk in a casual, quiet and a bit sneaky, furtive way e.g. he … to them and said Boo!
- also walk sideways

A

sidle

255
Q

trying to get something without asking for it directly

A

to angle for something

256
Q

praise, renown (=fame and acclaim), a commendation (to commend: express approval aloud: “yeah! amazing! run!”)

A

kudos

257
Q

a pipe for the transport of water or wire for electricity

used also metaphorically

A

conduit

258
Q

a large quantity of somethings, especially of paper

A

ream

259
Q

kretén

A

cretin

260
Q

showing childlike innocence and openness

A

ingenuous

261
Q

relating to sexual intercourse

A

venereal

262
Q

not totally honest or sincere e.g. when people pretend to know less than they really do
- giving a false appearance of frankness, not candid (straightforward and truthful)

A

disingenuous

263
Q

dull, dreary, dingy (dirty) e.g. colours, mood

A

drab

264
Q

go back on (=fail to keep or do) a promise or word e.g. her tradition

A

renege
[ri-neg]
(g ako gaga)

265
Q

derogatory term for a mix in terms of breeds or race

- also something of a dubious origin

A

mongrel

266
Q

shaky or quivering from fear or lack of strentgh

A

tremulous

267
Q

split or divided into two e.g. hoof

A

cloven

268
Q

mildly criticise e.g. children for not eating “properly”

A

reproach

269
Q

discouraged, very sad and without hope
often followed by over or about e.g. over/about the loss of job
(latin: “to lose courage, give up”)

A

despondent

270
Q

open, honest and sincere

  • You are dumb!
  • While I certainly appreciate your … I think we ought not be friends anymore.
A

candor / candour

271
Q

examine closely e.g. the skies for birds

- also rub or scrub

A

scour

272
Q

unnaturaly formal, especially language - speaking or writing

zo slova chodúle

A

stilted

273
Q

scorn (show contempt for), disregard e.g. the rules

A

flout

274
Q

get ready for something difficult or unpleasant e.g. an injection

A

steel oneself

275
Q

grow weak and thin, waste away physically e.g. due to chemotherapy

A

emaciate

276
Q

ordinary, dull; lacking imagination

A

prosaic

277
Q

transfixed (attention held magically) mesmerised, hypnotised

A

spellbound

278
Q

a device very useful for a specific purpose = a gizmo

e.g. the vacuum cleaner

A

contraption

279
Q

an amateur who pretends to have expertise

A

sciolist

280
Q

deeply sorry, full with remorse, ashamed

- unsurprisingly often in (but not restricted to) religious context
latin: from the word repent

A

penitent

281
Q

rough, rowdy (boisterous), vaguely dangerous kind of fun like pushing each other into the pool

A

horseplay

282
Q

horseplay type of humour, a boisterous comedy with simple practical jokes like embarassing events and deliberately clumsy actions

A

slapstick

283
Q
  • attach to

- a part of a building that attaches to another; an extension e.g. an attic or a new smaller room used as winter garden

A

annex

v./n.

284
Q

blemish (flaw), spoil, disfigure e.g. graffiti on buildings

A

deface

285
Q

a small and not serious quarrel about petty things - family members squabble all the time

A

squabble

286
Q

a true belly laugh that bubbles up with plenty of volume

zachvat smiechu, riadny smiech

A

guffaw

[g-faw]

287
Q

the time of day immediately following sunset - ey perched emself on the cliff and lurched into the …

A

gloaming

288
Q

destroy/kill as a sacrifice, often using fire, to a “higher cause”

  • the Aztects
  • some Buddhists monks
    (latin: … = sprinkled with sacrificial meal [wheat sprinkled on the heads of people to be sacrificed])
A

immolate

289
Q
  • a break, time-out

- temporary relief from something unpleasant or diffucult or harmful; a reprieve

A

respite

290
Q
  1. ) animal’s skin, fur

2. ) throw missiles or bombard

A

pelt

n/v

291
Q

something causing misery and death (a bane)

  • a whip / to whip
    e. g. the lands … by plague and fires
A

scourge

[sk-urge]

292
Q

use charm to coax someone; to wheedle

A

inveigle

293
Q
  1. ) a tiny amount
  2. ) less than the “correct” or legal amount - a cup of sugar
  3. ) to limit in quality or quantity
A

scant

adj./v.

294
Q

prance (walk i lofty arrogant way); walk in a proud swagger with a bit od arrogance thrown in

A

strut

295
Q

a person holding unorthodox opinions in any field

- though very often used with religion: a misbeliever; a religious outcast

A

heretic

296
Q

lock up; jail; put in prison

A

incarcerate

297
Q

of superfitial relevance; digressive or additional and nor needed e.g. a story that bore everyone

A

tangential

298
Q

casual to the point of disrespect or sarcasm
showing inappropriate levity
- he regreted his … response made without much forethought

A

flippant

299
Q

unpleasantly cool and humid

- like in a cellar

A

dank

300
Q

showing a peaceful sense of true celestial joy or bliss; as id resembling a benign angel

A

beatific

[bí-e-tific]

301
Q

an illusion deliberately misleading e.g. of order in a tennagers room when all the mess is crammed in the closet

A

semblance

302
Q

a natural predisposition to be hostile, aggressive

pugnacious = eager to fight = belligerent; callous and rough

A

pugnacious

[pag-nacious]

303
Q
  1. ) elegantly slender
  2. ) showing a hig degree of refinement and assurance that comes from wide social experience; sophisticated, cultured and polished (=urbane)
A

svelte

304
Q

try to persuade someone to switch to [your] religion (or way of living)

A

proselytise

305
Q

a feeling of deep ill will and bitter anger e.g. she apologised but he waved her off without …

A

rancour

[ran-kr]

306
Q

a dead end; a situation without the hopes of progress

- in research, project, adventure

A

impasse

307
Q

a sign of something about to happen; an omen (more often negative) - like with the crows in the sky

A

portent

308
Q

the surrounding culture, family, friends, environment, a person’s social environment

A

milieu

[mil-j]

309
Q

pungent and extremely unpleasant
(mostly used with smell)
metaphorically: when used with a sneer or manners = harsh, nasty, derisive

A

acrid

English (13 decks)

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