ABC Flashcards
(187 cards)
1
Q
Abate
A
To decrease; reduce
2
Q
Abdicate
A
To give up a position, right, or power
3
Q
Aberrant
A
Deviating from what is normal
4
Q
Abeyance
A
Temporary suppression or suspension
5
Q
Abject
A
Miserable; pitiful
6
Q
Abjure
A
To reject; abandon formally
7
Q
Abscission
A
N. the act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf or other part of a plant, v. to cut off or away (abscise)
8
Q
Abscond
A
To depart secretly
9
Q
Abstemious
A
Moderate in appetite
10
Q
Abstinence
A
The giving up of certain pleasures
11
Q
Abysmal
A
Very bad
12
Q
Accretion
A
Growth in size or increase in amount
13
Q
Accrue
A
To accumulate; grow by additions
14
Q
Adamant
A
Uncompromising; unyielding
15
Q
Adjunct
A
Something added, attached, or joined
16
Q
Admonish
A
To caution or reprimand
17
Q
Adulterate
A
To corrupt or make impure
18
Q
Aesthetic
A
Adj. relating to beauty or art, n. a conception of what is artistically beautiful
19
Q
Affected
A
Pretentious, phony
20
Q
Affinity
A
Fondness; liking; similarity
21
Q
Aggrandize
A
To make larger or greater
22
Q
Aggregate
A
Adj. amounting to a whole; total, v. to collect into a mass, n. collective mass or sum
23
Q
Alacrity
A
Cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed
24
Q
Alchemy
A
Medieval chemical philosophy based on changing metal into gold; a seemingly magical power or process of transmutation
25
Allay
To lessen; ease; soothe
26
Alleviate
To relieve; improve partially
27
Alloy
A combination; a mixture of two or more metals
28
Allure
The power to entice by charm
29
Amalgamate
To combine into a unified whole
30
Ambiguous
Unclear or doubtful in meaning
31
Ambivalence
The state of having conflicting emotional attitudes
32
Ambrosia
Something delicious; the food of the gods
33
Ameliorate
To improve
34
Amenable
Agreeable; cooperative; suited
35
Amenity
Something that increases comfort
36
Amulet
Ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits
37
Anachronism
Something out of the proper time
38
Analgesic
Medication that reduces or elimates pain
39
Analogous
Adj. comparable, n. a similarity in some ways between things that are otherwise dissimilar (analogy)
40
Anarchy
N. absence of government; state of disorder, adj. lacking order or control (anarchic)
41
Anodyne
N. something that calms or soothes pain, adj. relaxing, or capable of soothing pain
42
Anomalous
Irregular; deviating from the norm
43
Anomie
A social condition marked by a breakdown of social norms
44
Antecedent
Something that comes before
45
Antediluvian
Prehistoric
46
Antipathy
Dislike; hostility
47
Apathy
Indifference
48
Apex
The highest point
49
Apogee
The point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited; the highest point
50
Apothegm
A terse, witty saying
51
Appease
To calm; pacify; placate
52
Appellation
Name
53
Apposite
Strinkingly appropriate and relevant
54
Apprise
To inform
55
Approbation
Praise; approval
56
Appropriate
To take possession for one's own use; confiscate
57
Apropos
Relevant
58
Arabesque
Ornate design featuring intertwined curves; a ballet position in which one leg is extended in back while the other supports the weight of the body
59
Archeology
The study of material evidence of past human life
60
Ardor
Great emotion or passion
61
Arduous
Extremely difficult; laborious
62
Argot
A specialized vocabulary used by a group
63
Arrest
To stop; to seize
64
Artifact
Item made by human craft
65
Artless
Guileless; natural
66
Ascetic
N. one who practices self-denial, adj. self-denying or austere
67
Asperity
Severity; harshness; irritability
68
Aspersion
Slander; false rumor
69
Assiduous
Diligent; hard-working
70
Assuage
To make less severe
71
Astringent
Harsh; severe
72
Asylum
Place of refuge or shelter
73
Atavism
In biology, the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence; individual or a part that exhibits atavism; return of a trait after a period of absence
74
Attenuate
To weaken
75
Audacious
Bold; daring
76
Austere
Stern; unadorned
77
Autonomous
Self-governing; independent
78
Avarice
Greed
79
Aver
To affirm; declare to be true
80
Avocation
Secondary occupation
81
Avuncular
Like an uncle, benevolent and tolerant
82
Axiomatic
Taken for granted
83
Bacchanalian
Pertaining to riotous or drunken festivity; pertaining to revelry
84
Banal
Commonplace; trite
85
Banter
Playful conversation
86
Bard
Poet
87
Bawdy
Obscene
88
Beatify
To sanctify; to bless; to ascribe a virtue to
89
Bedizen
To dress in a vulgar; showy manner
90
Behemoth
Huge creature; anything very large and powerful
91
Belie
To contradict; misrepresent; give a false impression
92
Beneficent
Kindly; doing good
93
Bifurcate
To divide into two parts
94
Bionics
The application of biological principles to the the design of electrical or engineering systems
95
Blandishment
N. flattery, v. to coax with flattery (blandish)
96
Blase
Bored because of frequent indulgence; unconcerned
97
Bolster
To give a boost to; prop up; support
98
Bombastic
Pompous; using inflated language
99
Boorish
Rude; insensitive
100
Bovine
Cowlike
101
Brazen
Bold; shameless
102
Broach
To mention for the first time
103
Bucolic
Characteristic of the countryside; rustic; pastoral
104
Burgeon
To flourish
105
Burnish
To polish
106
Buttress
To reinforce; support
107
Cacophonous
Unpleasant or harsh-sounding
108
Cadge
To beg; sponge
109
Callous
Thick-skinned; insensitive
110
Calumny
False and malicious accusation; slander
111
Canard
False, deliberately misleading story
112
Canon
An established principle; a basis or standard for judgment; a group of literary works
113
Cant
Insincere talk; language of a particular group
114
Cantankerous
Irritable; ill-humored
115
Capricious
Adj. fickle, n. inclination to change one's mind compulsively
116
Captious
Faultfinding; intended to entrap, as in an argument
117
Cardinal
Of foremost importance
118
Carnal
Of the flesh or body; related to physical appetites
119
Carping
To find fault; complain
120
Cartography
Science of making maps
121
Caste
Any of the hereditary social classes of hindu society; social stratification
122
Castigation
Punishment; chastisement; criticism
123
Cataclysm
A violent upheaval that causes great destruction and change
124
Catalyst
Something causing change
125
Categorical
Absolute; without exception
126
Caucus
Smaller group within an organization
127
Causal
Involving a cause
128
Caustic
Sarcastically biting; burning
129
Celestial
Concerning the sky or heavens; sublime
130
Centrifugal
Moving away from a center
131
Centripetal
Moving or directed toward a center
132
Champion
To defend or support
133
Chasten
To correct by punishment or reproof; to restrain or subdue
134
Chicanery
Trickery; fraud
135
Chivalry
The qualities idealized by knighthood such as bravery and gallantry toward women
136
Churlish
Rude; boorish
137
Circuitous
Roundabout
138
Clairvoyant
One who can predict the future; psychic
139
Clamor
Noisy outcry
140
Clique
A small, exclusive group
141
Cloister
V. to confine; seclude, n. monastery or convent, adj. shut away from the world (cloistered)
142
Coagulate
Thicken; congeal
143
Coalesce
To cause to beome one
144
Coda
Concluding part of a literary or musical composition; something that summarizes or concludes
145
Codify
Systematize
146
Cognizant
Informed; conscious; aware
147
Collage
Artistic composition of materials pasted over a surface; an assemblage of diverse elements
148
Commensurate
Proportional
149
Compendium
Brief, comprehensive summary
150
Complacent
Self-satisfied
151
Complaisant
Overly polite; willing to please; obliging
152
Complement
Something that completes or makes up a whole
153
Compliant
Yielding
154
Compunction
Uneasiness caused by guilt
155
Concave
Curving inward
156
Conciliatory
Overcoming distrust or hostility
157
Concoct
Invent
158
Concomitant
Existing concurrently
159
Condone
To overlook volutarily; forgive
160
Confound
To baffle; perplex; mix up
161
Congenial
Similar in tastes and habits; friendly; suited to
162
Conjugal
Pertaining to marriage agreement
163
Connoisseur
A person possessing expert knowledge or training; a person of informed and discriminating taste
164
Conscript
N. person compulsorily enrolled for military service, v. to enroll a person for military service
165
Consecrate
To declare sacred
166
Contend
V. to assert, n. an assertion (contention)
167
Contentious
Quarrelsome; causing quarrels
168
Contiguous
Touching, neighboring; connecting without a break
169
Continence
Self-control; abstention from sexual activity
170
Contrite
Very sorrowful for a wrong
171
Contumacious
Disobedient; rebellious
172
Conundrum
Riddle; puzzle with no solution
173
Convention
N. practice widely observed in a group; custom; accepted technique or device, adj. customary or commonplace (conventional)
174
Converge
To approach; come together; tend to meet
175
Convex
Curved outward
176
Convivial
Sociable
177
Convoluted
Twisted; complicated
178
Copious
Abundant; plentiful
179
Coquette
Woman who flirts
180
Cornucopia
Horn overflowing with fruit and grain; state of abundance
181
Cosmology
Study of the universe as a totality;theory of the origin and structure of the universe
182
Covert
Hidden; secret
183
Covetous
Desiring something owned by another
184
Cozen
To mislead by trick or fraud; deceive
185
Craven
Cowardly
186
Credence
Acceptance of something as true
187
Credo
Statement of belief or principle; creed
