C Flashcards
Clumsy cats continuously chase colorful cucumbers. (134 cards)
1
Q
cacophony
(n.)
A
tremendous noise, disharmonious sound
(The elementary school orchestra created a cacophony at the recital.)
2
Q
cadence
(n.)
A
a rhythm, progression of sound
(The pianist used the foot pedal to emphasize the cadence of the sonata.)
3
Q
cajole
(v.)
A
to urge, coax
(Fred’s buddies cajoled him into attending the bachelor party.)
4
Q
calamity
(n.)
A
an event with disastrous consequences
(The earthquake in San Francisco
was a calamity worse than any other natural disaster in history.)
5
Q
calibrate
(v.)
A
to set, standardize
(The mechanic calibrated the car’s transmission to make the motor run most efficiently.)
6
Q
callous
(adj.)
A
harsh, cold, unfeeling
(The murderer’s callous lack of remorse shocked the jury.)
7
Q
calumny
(n.)
A
an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies
(The local official’s calumny ended up ruining his opponent’s prospect of winning the election.)
8
Q
camaraderie
(n.)
A
brotherhood, jovial unity
(Camaraderie among employees usually leads to success in business.)
9
Q
candor
(n.)
A
honesty, frankness
(We were surprised by the candor of the mayor’s speech because he is usually rather evasive.)
10
Q
canny
(adj.)
A
shrewd, careful
(The canny runner hung at the back of the pack through much of the race to watch the other runners, and then sprinted past them at the end.)
11
Q
canvas
1.(n.) 2.(v.)
A
- a piece of cloth on which an artist paints
- to cover, inspect
- (Picasso liked to work on canvas rather than on bare cement.)
- (We canvassed the neighborhood looking for clues.)
12
Q
capacious
(adj.)
A
very spacious
(The workers delighted in their new capacious office space.)
13
Q
capitulate
(v.)
A
to surrender
The army finally capitulated after fighting a long costly battle.
14
Q
capricious
(adj.)
A
subject to whim, fickle
(The young girl’s capricious tendencies made it difficult for her to focus on achieving her goals.)
15
Q
captivate
(v.)
A
to get the attention of, hold
(The fireworks captivated the young boy, who had never seen such things before.)
16
Q
carouse
(v.)
A
to party, celebrate
(We caroused all night after getting married.)
17
Q
carp
(v.)
A
to annoy, pester
(The husband divorced his wife after listening to her carping voice for decades.)
18
Q
catalog
1.(v.) 2.(n.)
A
- to list, enter into a list
- a list or collection
- (The judge cataloged the victim’s injuries before calculating how much money he would award.)
- (We received a catalog from J. Crew that displayed all of their new items.)
19
Q
catalyze
(v.)
A
to charge, inspire
(The president’s speech catalyzed the nation and resuscitated the economy.)
20
Q
caucus
(n.)
A
a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal
(The ironworkers held a caucus to determine how much of a pay increase they would request.)
21
Q
caustic
(adj.)
A
bitter, biting, acidic
(The politicians exchanged caustic insults for over an hour during the debate.)
22
Q
cavort
(v.)
A
to leap about, behave boisterously
(The adults ate their dinners on the patio, while the children cavorted around the pool.)
23
Q
censure
1.(n.) 2.(v.)
A
- harsh criticism
- to rebuke formally
- (The frustrated teenager could not put up with anymore of her critical mother’s censure.)
- (The principal censured the head of the English Department for forcing students to learn esoteric vocabulary.)
24
Q
cerebral
(adj.)
A
related to the intellect
(The books we read in this class are too cerebral— they don’t engage my emotions at all.)
25
chaos
| (n.)
absolute disorder
## Footnote
(Mr. Thornton’s sudden departure for the lavatory plunged his classroom into **chaos**.)
26
chastise
| (v.)
to criticize severely
## Footnote
(After being **chastised** by her peers for mimicking Britney Spears, Miranda dyed her hair black and affected a Gothic style.)
27
cherish
| (v.)
to feel or show affection toward something
## Footnote
(She continued to **cherish** her red plaid trousers, even though they had gone out of style and no longer fit her.)
28
chide
| (v.)
to voice disapproval
## Footnote
(Lucy **chided** Russell for his vulgar habits and sloppy appearance.)
29
choreography
| (n.)
the arrangement of dances
## Footnote
(The plot of the musical was banal, but the **choreography** was stunning.)
30
chronicle
| 1.(n.) 2.(v.)
1. a written history
2. to write a history
## Footnote
1. (The library featured the newly updated **chronicle** of World War II.)
2. (Albert’s diary **chronicled** the day-to-day growth of his obsession with Cynthia.)
31
chronological
| (adj.)
arranged in order of time
## Footnote
(Lionel carefully arranged the snapshots of his former girlfriends in **chronological** order, and then set fire to them.)
32
circuitous
| (adj.)
roundabout
## Footnote
(The bus’s **circuitous** route took us through numerous outlying suburbs.)
33
circumlocution
| (n.)
indirect and wordy language
## Footnote
(The professor’s habit of speaking in **circumlocutions** made it difficult to follow his lectures.)
34
circumscribed
| (adj.)
marked off, bounded
## Footnote
(The children were permitted to play tag only within a carefully **circumscribed** area of the lawn.)
35
circumspect
| (adj.)
cautious
## Footnote
(Though I promised Rachel’s father I would bring her home promptly by midnight, it would have been more **circumspect** not to have specified a time.)
36
37
circumvent
| (v.)
to get around
## Footnote
(The school’s dress code forbidding navel-baring jeans was **circumvented** by the determined students, who were careful to cover up with long coats when administrators were nearby.)
38
clairvoyant
| (adj.)
able to perceive things that normal people cannot
## Footnote
(Zelda’s uncanny ability to detect my lies was nothing short of **clairvoyant**.)
39
clamor
| 1.(n.) 2.(v.)
1. loud noise
2. to loudly insist
## Footnote
1. (Each morning the birds outside my window make such a **clamor** that they wake me up.)
2. (Neville’s fans **clamored** for him to appear on stage, but he had passed out on the floor of his dressing room.)
40
clandestine
| (adj.)
secret
## Footnote
(Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the gym, Sophie actually went to meet Joseph for a **clandestine** liaison.)
41
cleave
| (v.)
1. to divide into parts
2. to stick together firmly
## Footnote
1. (Following the scandalous disgrace of their leader, the entire political party **cleaved** into warring factions.)
2. (After resolving their marital problems, Junior and Rosa **cleaved** to one another all the more tightly.)
42
clemency
| (n.)
mercy
## Footnote
(After he forgot their anniversary, Martin could only beg Maria for **clemency**.)
43
clergy
| (n.)
members of Christian holy orders
## Footnote
(Though the villagers viewed the church rectory as quaint and charming, the **clergy** who lived there regarded it as a mildewy and dusty place that aggravated their allergies.)
44
coagulate
| (v.)
to thicken, clot
## Footnote
(The top layer of the pudding had **coagulated** into a thick skin.)
44
cloying
| (adj.)
45
coalesce
| (v.)
to fuse into a whole
## Footnote
(Gordon’s ensemble of thrift-shop garments **coalesced** into a surprisingly handsome outfit.)
46
cobbler
| (n.)
a person who makes or repairs shoes
## Footnote
(I had my neighborhood **cobbler** replace my worn-out leather soles with new ones.)
47
48
49
cognizant
| (adj.)
aware, mindful
## Footnote
(Jake avoided speaking to women in bars because he was **cognizant** of the fact that drinking impairs his judgment.)
50
coherent
| (adj.)
logically consistent, intelligible
## Footnote
(Renee could not figure out what Monroe had seen because he was too distraught to deliver a **coherent** statement.)
51
collateral
| 1.(adj.) 2.(n.)
1. secondary
2. security for a debt
## Footnote
1. (Divorcing my wife had the **collateral** effect of making me poor, as she was the only one of us with a job or money.)
2. (Jacob left his watch as **collateral** for the $500 loan.)
52
colloquial
| (adj.)
characteristic of informal conversation
## Footnote
(Adam’s essay on sexual response in primates was marked down because it contained too many **colloquial** expressions.)
53
collusion
| (n.)
a secret agreement, conspiracy
## Footnote
(The three law students worked in **collusion** to steal the final exam.)
54
colossus
| (n.)
a gigantic statue or thing
## Footnote
(For 56 years, the ancient city of Rhodes featured a **colossus** standing astride its harbor.)
55
combustion
| (n.)
the act of process of burning
## Footnote
(The unexpected **combustion** of the prosecution’s evidence forced the judge to dismiss the case against Ramirez.)
56
commendation
| (n.)
a notice of approval or recognition
## Footnote
(Jared received a **commendation** from Linda, his supervisor, for his stellar performance.)
57
commensurate
| (adj.)
corresponding in size or amount
## Footnote
(Ahab selected a very long roll and proceeded to prepare a tuna salad sandwich **commensurate** with his enormous appetite.)
58
commodious
| (adj.)
roomy
## Footnote
(Holden invited the three women to join him in the back seat of the taxicab, assuring them that the car was quite **commodious**.)
59
compelling
| (adj.)
forceful, demanding attention
## Footnote
(Eliot’s speech was so **compelling** that Lenore accepted his proposal on the spot.)
60
compensate
| (v.)
to make an appropriate payment for something
## Footnote
(Reginald bought Sharona a new dress to **compensate** her for the one he’d spilled his ice cream on.)
61
complacency
| (n.)
self-satisfied ignorance of danger
## Footnote
(Colin tried to shock his friends out of their **complacency** by painting a frightening picture of what might happen to them.)
62
complement
| (v.)
to complete, make perfect
## Footnote
(Ann’s scarf **complements** her blouse beautifully, making her seem fully dressed even though she isn’t wearing a coat.)
63
compliant
| (adj.)
ready to adapt oneself to another's wishes
## Footnote
(Sue had very strong opinions about what to do on a first date, and Ted was absolutely **compliant**.)
64
complicit
| (adj.)
being an accomplice in a wrongful act
## Footnote
(By keeping her daughter’s affair a secret, Maddie became **complicit** in it.)
65
compliment
| (n.)
an expression of esteem or approval
## Footnote
(I blushed crimson when Emma gave me a **compliment** on my new haircut.)
66
67
comprehensive
| (adj.)
including everything
## Footnote
(She sent me a **comprehensive** list of the ingredients needed to cook rabbit soufflé.)
68
compress
| (v.)
to apply pressure, squeeze together
## Footnote
(Lynn **compressed** her lips into a frown.)
69
compunction
| (n.0
distress caused by feeling guilty
## Footnote
(He felt **compunction** for the shabby way he’d treated her.)
70
concede
| (v.)
to accept as valid
## Footnote
(Andrew had to **concede** that what his mother said about Diana made sense.)
71
conciliatory
| (adj.)
friendly, agreeable
## Footnote
(I took Amanda’s invitation to dinner as a very **conciliatory** gesture.)
72
concise
| (adj.)
brief and direct in expression
## Footnote
(Gordon did not like to waste time, and his instructions to Brenda were nothing if not **concise**.)
73
concoct
| (v.)
to fabricate, make up
## Footnote
(She **concocted** the most ridiculous story to explain her absence.)
74
concomitant
| (adj.)
accompanying in a subordinate fashion
## Footnote
(His dislike of hard work carried with it a **concomitant** lack of funds.)
75
concord
| (n.)
harmonious agreement
## Footnote
(Julie and Harold began the evening with a disagreement, but ended it in a state of perfect **concord**.)
76
condolence
| (n.)
an expression of sympathy in sorrow
## Footnote
(Brian lamely offered his **condolences** on the loss of his sister’s roommate’s cat.)
77
condone
| (v.)
to pardon, deliberately overlook
## Footnote
(He refused to **condone** his brother’s crime.)
78
conduit
| (n.)
a pipe or channel through whcih something passes
## Footnote
(The water flowed through the **conduit** into the container.)
79
confection
| (n.)
a sweet, fancy food
## Footnote
(We went to the mall food court and purchased a delicious **confection**.)
80
confidant
| (n.)
a person entrusted with secrets
## Footnote
(Shortly after we met, she became my chief **confidant**.)
81
conflagration
| (n.)
great fire
## Footnote
(The **conflagration** consumed the entire building.)
82
confluence
| (n.)
a gathering together
## Footnote
(A **confluence** of different factors made tonight the
perfect night.)
83
conformist
| (n.)
one who behaves the same as others
## Footnote
(Julian was such a **conformist** that he had to wait and see if his friends would do something before he would commit.)
84
confound
| (v.)
to frustrate, confuse
## Footnote
(MacGuyver **confounded** the policemen pursuing him by covering his tracks.)
85
congeal
| (v.)
to thicken into a solid
## Footnote
(The sauce had **congealed** into a thick paste.)
86
congenial
| (adj.)
pleasantly agreeable
## Footnote
(His **congenial** manner made him popular wherever he went.)
87
congregation
| (n.)
a gathering of people, especially for religious services
## Footnote
(The priest told the **congregation** that he would be retiring.)
88
congruity
| (n.)
the quality of being in agreement
## Footnote
(Bill and Veronica achieved a perfect **congruity** of opinion.)
89
connive
| (v.)
to plot, scheme
## Footnote
(She **connived** to get me to give up my vacation plans.)
90
91
consecrate
| (v.)
to dedicate something to a holy purpose
## Footnote
(Arvin **consecrated** his spare bedroom as a shrine to Christina.)
92
consensus
| (n.)
an agreement of opinion
## Footnote
(The jury was able to reach a **consensus** only after days of deliberation.)
93
consign
| (v.)
to give something over to another's care
## Footnote
(Unwillingly, he **consigned** his mother to a nursing home.)
94
consolation
| (adj.)
an act of comforting
## Footnote
(Darren found Alexandra’s presence to be a **consolation** for his suffering.)
95
consonant
| (adj.)
in harmony
## Footnote
(The singers’ **consonant** voices were beautiful.)
96
constituent
| (n.)
an essential part
## Footnote
(The most important **constituent** of her perfume is something called ambergris.)
97
constrain
| (v.)
to forcibly restrict
## Footnote
(His belief in nonviolence **constrained** him from taking revenge on his attackers.)
98
construe
| (v.)
to interpret
## Footnote
(He **construed** her throwing his clothes out the window as a signal that she wanted him to leave.)
99
consummate
| (v.)
to complete a deal; to complete a marriage ceremony through sexual intercourse
## Footnote
(Erica and Donald **consummated** their agreement in the executive boardroom.)
100
consumption
| (n.)
the act of consuming
## Footnote
(**Consumption** of intoxicating beverages is not permitted on these premises.)
101
contemporaneous
| (adj.)
existing during the same time
## Footnote
(Though her novels do not feature the themes of Romanticism, Jane Austen’s work was **contemporaneous** with that of Wordsworth and Byron.)
102
contentious
| (adj.)
having a tendency to quarrel or dispute
## Footnote
(George’s **contentious** personality made him unpopular with his classmates.)
103
contravene
| (v.)
to contradict, oppose, violate
## Footnote
(Edwidge **contravened** his landlady’s rule against overnight guests.)
104
contrite
| (adj.)
penitent, eager to be forgiven
## Footnote
(Blake’s **contrite** behavior made it impossible to stay angry at him.)
105
contusion
| (n.)
bruise, injury
## Footnote
(The **contusions** on his face suggested he’d been in a fight.)
106
conundrum
| (n.)
puzzle, problem
## Footnote
(Interpreting Jane’s behavior was a constant **conundrum**.)
107
convene
| (v.)
to call together
## Footnote
(Jason **convened** his entire extended family for a discussion.)
108
convention
| (n.)
1. an assembly of people
2. a rule, custom
## Footnote
1. (The hotel was full because of the cattle- ranchers’ **convention**.)
2. (The cattle-ranchers have a **convention** that you take off your boots before entering their houses.)
109
convivial
| (adj.)
characterized by feasting, drinking, merriment
## Footnote
(The restaurant’s **convivial** atmosphere put me immediately at ease.)
110
convoluted
| (adj.)
intricate, complicated
## Footnote
(Grace’s story was so **convoluted** that I couldn’t follow it.)
111
copious
| (adj.)
profuse, abundant
## Footnote
(**Copious** amounts of Snapple were imbibed in the cafeteria.)
112
cordial
| (adj.)
warm, affectionate
## Footnote
(His **cordial** greeting melted my anger at once.)
113
coronation
| (n.)
the act of crowning
## Footnote
(The new king’s **coronation** occurred the day after
his father’s death.)
114
corpulence
| (adj.)
extreme fatness
## Footnote
(Henry’s **corpulence** did not make him any less attractive to his charming, svelte wife.)
115
corroborate
| (v.)
to support with evidence
## Footnote
(Luke’s seemingly outrageous claim was **corroborated** by witnesses.)
116
corrosive
| (adj.)
having the tendency to erode or eat away
## Footnote
(The effect of the chemical was highly **corrosive**.)
117
cosmopolitan
| (adj.)
sophisticated, worldly
## Footnote
(Lloyd’s education and upbringing were **cosmopolitan**, so he felt right at home among the powerful and learned.)
118
counteract
| (v.)
to neutralize, make ineffective
## Footnote
(The antidote **counteracted** the effect of the poison.)
119
coup
| (n.)
1. a brilliant, unexpected act
2. the overthrow of a government and assumption of authority
## Footnote
1. (Alexander pulled off an amazing **coup** when he got a date with Cynthia by purposely getting hit by her car.)
2. (In their **coup** attempt, the army officers stormed the Parliament and took all the legislators hostage.)
120
covet
| (v.)
to desire enviously
## Footnote
(I **coveted** Moses’s house, wife, and car.)
121
covert
| (adj.)
secretly engaged in
## Footnote
(Nerwin waged a **covert** campaign against his enemies, while outwardly appearing to remain friendly.)
122
credulity
| (n.)
readiness to believe
## Footnote
(His **credulity** made him an easy target for con men.)
123
crescendo
| (n.)
a steady increase in intensity or volume
## Footnote
(The **crescendo** of the brass instruments gave the piece a patriotic feel.)
124
criteria
| (n.)
standards by which something is judged
## Footnote
(Among Mrs. Fields’s **criteria** for good cookies are that they be moist and chewy.)
125
culmination
| (n.)
the climax toward which something progresses
## Footnote
(The **culmination** of the couple’s argument was the decision to divorce.)
126
culpable
| (adj.)
desrving blame
## Footnote
(He was **culpable** of the crime, and was sentenced to perform community service for 75 years.)
127
cultivate
| (v.)
to nurture, improve, refine
## Footnote
(At the library, she **cultivated** her interest in spy novels.)
128
cumulative
| (adj.)
increasing, building upon itself
## Footnote
(The **cumulative** effect of hours spent in the sun was a deep tan.)
129
cunning
| (adj.)
sly, clever at being deceitful
## Footnote
(The general devised a **cunning** plan to surprise the enemy.)
130
cupidity
| (n.)
greed, strong desire
## Footnote
(His **cupidity** made him enter the abandoned gold mine despite the obvious dangers.)
131
cursory
| (adj.)
brief to the point of being superficial
## Footnote
(Late for the meeting, she cast a **cursory** glance at the agenda.)
132
curt
| (adj.)
abruptly and rudely short
## Footnote
(Her **curt** reply to my question made me realize that she was upset at me.)
133
curtail
| (v.)
to lessen, reduce
## Footnote
(Since losing his job, he had to **curtail** his spending.)
