Deck 1 Flashcards
(215 cards)
1
Q
spate
A
A large number; a sudden, unexpected rise.
a spate of attacks on travelers
2
Q
saxicolous
A
Living among rocks; growing among rocks or boulders.
3
Q
calliope
A
A steam organ; a musical instrument similar to an organ in which sound is produced by compressed air or steam.
4
Q
redoubtable
A
Arousing respect; evoking fear or reverence.
he was a redoubtable debater
5
Q
devolution
A
The passing of property from one person to another, as by hereditary succession.
6
Q
scurrilous
A
Abusive; obscene; inappropriate; indecent.
a scurrilous attack on his integrity
7
Q
wangle
A
To acquire by cleverness or deception; to trick.
I wangled an invitation to her party
8
Q
garret
A
A room; an attic.
9
Q
propitiate
A
To appease; to conciliate.
10
Q
hale
A
Healthy and strong; full of stamina.
11
Q
festoon
A
adorn with decorations
the room was festooned with balloons and streamers.
12
Q
unwonted
A
Rare and unaccustomed; unusual.
there was an unwonted gaiety in her manner
13
Q
chary
A
Cautious; wary; showing forethought.
most people are chary of allowing themselves to be photographed
14
Q
pelf
A
Currency; wealth; riches, especially if acquired illegally or unscrupulously.
15
Q
indecorum
A
failure to conform to good taste
16
Q
effluvium
A
A noxious, foul smelling odor; a harmful invisible gas.
the unwholesome effluvia of decaying vegetable matter
17
Q
scurvy
A
Contemptible; mean.
that was a scurvy trick.
18
Q
ululate
A
To howl; to wail.
women were ululating as the body was laid out
19
Q
risible
A
Amusing; comic; laughable.
a risible scene of lovemaking in a tent
20
Q
espy
A
To see unexpectedly; to suddenly notice.
she espied her daughter rounding the corner
21
Q
piebald
A
Of different colors; mottled; speckled.
22
Q
moue
A
A pouting grimace
23
Q
expiation
A
The process of atonement or reparation for a wrong.
an act of public expiation
24
Q
fiat
A
A command; an arbitrary order; a decree.
adopting a legislative review program, rather than trying to regulate by fiat
25
samovar
A metal urn; a teakettle.
A highly decorated tea urn used in Russia
26
insouciant
Unconcerned; without anxiety; indifferent.
*an impression of boyish insouciance*
27
restive
(of a person) unable to keep still because of dissatisfaction or boredom
28
zaftig
Pleasantly plump; having a full body.
29
bandy
To discuss lightly or glibly; to pass back and forth; to circulate.
*they bandied words and laughs from one to another*
30
proscribe
To denounce as dangerous; to condemn as harmful.
*certain practices which the Catholic Church proscribed, such as polygyny*
31
limn
suffuse or highlight (something) with a bright color or light
*a crescent moon limned each shred with white gold*
32
plenary
Attended by all qualified members; unqualified, absolute
*a plenary session of the European Parliament; crusaders were offered a plenary indulgence by the pope*
33
boondoggle
To waste money or time on a project; a project of that sort
writing off the cold fusion phenomenon as a boondoggle best buried in literature
34
gelid
Wintry; very cold; icy.
*the gelid pond*
35
peregrination
A trip
*He ventures out in his pajamas and makes a dreamlike peregrination through the town's deserted streets*
36
salmagundi
A mixture of items.
37
stentorian
Loud; extremely powerful.
*he introduced me to the staff with a stentorian announcement*
38
iniquitous
Wicked; perceived to be immoral.
*a liberal lawyer could uncover the iniquities committed on his own doorstep*
39
winnow
To sift; to separate the good parts from the bad parts.
*guidelines that would help winnow out those not fit to be soldiers*
40
fortuitous
happening by accident rather than design
*the similarity between the paintings may not be simply fortuitous*
41
putative
Supposed; inconclusively accepted as true.
*the putative father of a boy of two*
42
ingratiate
To become popular with somebody.
*a social climber who had tried to ingratiate herself with the city gentry*
43
austerity
sterness or severity of manner or attitude
*he was noted for his austerity and his authoritarianism*
44
sublimate
divert or modify into a culturally higher or socially more acceptable activity
*he sublimates his hurt and anger into humor*
45
miscegenation
Characterized as a mixture of races; cohabitation of two people of different races.
46
derogate
To deviate from (a set of rules or agreed form of behavior)
*one country has derogated from the Rome Convention*
47
sesquipedalian
Tending to use long words; grossly wordy.
48
mendacious
Lying; habitually dishonest; untruthful.
*mendacious propaganda*
49
frowzy
Dirty; untidy; smelling bad.
*a frowzy nightclub*
50
anile
Of or resembling a foolish, old woman.
51
gravid
Pregnant; enlarged or burdened with something.
*the scene is gravid with unease*
52
caper
To jump in a playful manner; to skip.
*children were capering about the room*
53
aplomb
Poise; composure; assurance.
54
skittish
lively and unpredictable; playful
55
expostulate
express strong disapproval or disagreement
*I expostulated with him in vain*
56
conflate
To combine; to fuse.
*the urban crisis conflates a number of different economic and social issues*
57
cloying
Excessively distasteful; overly rich and sweet.
58
ostensible
Apparent; appearing as such but not necessarily so; pretended.
59
odium
Contempt; intense dislike; aversion.
60
anile
Of or resembling a foolish, old woman.
61
celerity
Speed; rapidity; quickness.
62
unsparing
merciless, severe; given freely, generously
63
thrall
A slave; a serf; a person in bondage.
64
inveigh
To attack and complain verbally; to denounce; to vehemently object.
65
vitiate
To spoil the effect of; make inoperative; corrupt morally; to make imperfect.
66
defray
To pay; to assume the payment of.
*the proceeds from the raffle help to defray the expenses of the evening*
67
panjandrum
A person who believes that he is important; a pretentious official.
68
notorious
famous or well known, typically for some bad quality or deed
69
meretricious
Attractive on the surface only; flashy; showy, but in a tasteless way.
*meretricious souvenirs for the tourist trade*
70
tonsure
The act of shaving one's head, especially by persons who are entering a religious order.
71
mawkish
Sentimental; weakly emotional; slightly nauseating.
72
involved
difficult to comprehend; complicated
73
espy
To see unexpectedly; to suddenly notice.
74
tenon
To join; to fasten securely.
75
penitential
relating to or expressing regret for having done wrong
* penitential tears*
76
retinue
A following; the attendants associated with an important person.
77
disquieting
(N) inducing feelings of anxiety or worry; (V) worrying someone
*he found Jean's gaze disquieting*
78
vituperative
Abusive; scolding; defamatory.
79
scurvy
Contemptible; mean.
80
effulgent
Brilliant; sparkling; shining brightly.
81
prognathous
Having a jaw that sticks out; having protrusive teeth.
82
unwonted
Rare and unaccustomed; unusual.
83
cosmorama
A type of art exhibit.
84
dint
by means of
*he had gotten to where he was today by dint of sheer hard work*
85
mulct
To deprive someone of (money or possessions) by fraudulent means
*he mulcted Shelly of $75,000*
86
viand
An article of food; nourishment; a delicate, dainty food article.
87
prognathous
Having a jaw that sticks out; having protrusive teeth.
88
satori
The state in which a person suddenly acquires enlightenment.
89
descant
An additional melody that is sung above the principal melody.
--
to talk tediously or at length
*I have descanted on this subject before*
90
escutcheon
A ceremonial shield; a coat of arms; a protective, ornate plate.
91
unseemly
inappropriate
*an unseemly squabble*
92
horripilation
The process by which hair bristles in response to cold weather or fear; often referred to as having goose flesh.
93
scurrilous
Abusive; obscene; inappropriate; indecent.
*a scurrilous attack on his integrity*
94
expedient
Likely to be useful; worthwhile; advantageous.
95
stipple
To engrave, draw, or paint by small dots or small motions.
96
anneal
To increase the integrity of; to make more hard by repeated heating and cooling.
97
manumission
The act of freeing from slavery.
98
pablum
Something that is trite; something simplistic.
99
quietus
A final acquittance from debt or an obligation; a rest.
100
dissemble
To disguise; to hide the real nature of; to pretend.
* an honest, sincere person with no need to dissemble*
* she smiled, dissembling her true emotion*
101
paroxysm
An uncontrollable attack, which can be either of pain or laughter.
*a paroxysm of weeping*
102
internecine
Mutually destructive.
103
gimcrack
An ornamental object; something of no practical value.
*plastic gimcrack cookware*
104
eschatological
Pertaining to end-matters; referring to the final state.
105
tutelary
Custodial; protective.
106
animadversion
Censure; severe criticism.
*her animadversion against science*
107
poltroon
A coward.
108
pellucid
lucid in style or meaning; translucently clear; clear in tone
*he writes, as always, in pellucid prose*
109
emetic
Something that induces vomiting.
* that emetic music in department stores*
110
putative
Supposed; inconclusively accepted as true.
111
iniquitous
Wicked; perceived to be immoral.
112
aleatory
Uncertain and unpredictable; dependent on luck.
*life is aleatory*
113
vitiate
To lower the quality of; to weaken; to spoil.
114
turpitude
Wickedness; shamefulness; a depraved act.
115
devolve
To deputize; to pass duties on to somebody else.
*his duties devolved on a comrade*
116
accede
assent or agree to a demand; assume an office or position
* he acceded to the post of director in September*
117
droll
curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement
*his unique brand of droll self-mockery*
118
enmesh
To catch within a new.
119
adventitious
Accidental; happening by chance; not natural.
*my adventures were always adventitious, always thrust on me*
120
recreant
Craven; disloyal; cowardly.
* what a recreant figure must he make*
121
sententious
given to moralizing in a pompous or affected manner
*he tried to encourage his men with sententious rhetoric*
122
derogate
To stray from a normal course of action; to act contrary to what is expected; to deviate from normal modes of conduct.
123
contumely
Contemptuous treatment; harsh language.
*the church should not be exposed to gossip and contumely*
124
scurvy
Contemptible; mean.
125
convoluted
extremely complex and difficult to follow
126
invective
Abuse; belittlement; severe scolding.
127
aplomb
Poise; composure; assurance.
128
dint
Means; effort; force.
129
limn
To depict verbally or through the use of pictures.
130
ample
plentiful; large and accomodating
131
agog
Eager and excited; driven by anticipation.
*New York is agog at the gossip*
132
concupiscence
strong sexual desire; lust
133
evince
To show clearly; to prove; to reveal.
134
incongruous
not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something
the duffel coat looked incongruous with the black dress she wore underneath.
135
compunction
Remorse; uneasiness caused by guilt.
136
cunctation
Procrastination or delay; tardiness.
137
temperance
moderation or self-restraint, esp. in eating and drinking.
138
jangling
Harsh; cacophonous.
*Ryan stood on the terrace jangling his keys*
139
gallimaufry
A confused mess; a hodgepodge.
140
bluster
To bully; to threaten; to domineer.
*you threaten and bluster, but won't carry it through*
141
palimpsest
A parchment or piece of writing material used for a second time after the original writing has been erased.
142
raiment
Clothing; garments.
143
stinginess
unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous : his employer is stingy and idle | he was stingy with his information.
144
sunder
To separate; to part; to cleave or sever.
* the crunch of bone when it is sundered*
145
vitreous
Pertaining to or resembling glass.
*the toilet and bidet are made of vitreous china*
146
incubus
a male demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; a cause of distress or anxiety
*debt is a big incubus in developing countries*
147
indite
To write; to produce a literary work.
*he indites the wondrous tale of Our Lord*
148
bailiwick
A person's area of knowledge or ability; the jurisdiction of a bailiff.
*you never give the presentations—that's my bailiwick*
149
thew
Muscle or sinew (usually used in the plural); muscular power or strength.
150
prognathous
Having a jaw that sticks out; having protrusive teeth.
151
orotund
Full; strong; bombastic; pompous; pretentious.
Certain literary devices afford tyros the opportunity to coin orotund phrases concerning the irony of fate, the haplessness of true lovers, and kindred favorite topics.
152
phatic
Having a function whose sole purpose is to express or convey emotion or to fulfill a social task; lacking informational content.
*Phatic communication, or small talk, is an important social lubricant*
153
encomiastic
Praising; eulogistic; flattering.
154
deliquesce
To melt; to become liquid.
155
insouciance
The state of being light-hearted; a condition on nonchalance.
156
mettlesome
Courageous, high-spirited; willing to enter a dangerous situation.
*the team showed their true mettle in the second half*
157
vitreous
Pertaining to or resembling glass.
158
largess
generosity in bestowing money or gifts upon others
*dispensing his money with such largesse*
159
ululate
To howl; to wail.
160
palimpsest
A parchment or piece of writing material used for a second time after the original writing has been erased.
161
glean
To collect in small quantities; to gather over time.
*the information is gleaned from press clippings*
162
calumny
A false misrepresentation; slander; aspersion.
163
sartorial
Pertaining to tailors or tailoring; pertaining to clothing.
164
minacious
Threatening.
165
sedulous
Diligent; assiduous; persevering.
166
animadversion
Censure; severe criticism.
167
pelf
Currency; wealth; riches, especially if acquired illegally or unscrupulously.
168
devolution
The passing of property from one person to another, as by hereditary succession.
169
lucifugous
Avoiding light.
170
refulgent
Effulgent; brilliant; brightly shining; gleaming.
171
arenaceous
Containing or derived from sand.
172
purloined
Stolen; embezzled.
173
cur
A mongrel dog; a mean or cowardly person.
174
calliope
A steam organ; a musical instrument similar to an organ in which sound is produced by compressed air or steam.
175
opprobrious
Showing scorn or reproach; outrageous; shameful.
*their opprobrious conduct*
176
inveigh
To attack and complain verbally; to denounce; to vehemently object.
177
vociferous
(esp of a person or speech) vehement or clamorous
178
limn
To depict verbally or through the use of pictures.
179
putative
Supposed; inconclusively accepted as true.
180
dragoon
To coerce or to force into action.
*she had been dragooned into helping with the housework*
181
cosmorama
A type of art exhibit.
182
mufti
Civilian clothes.
*I was a flying officer in mufti*
183
refulgent
Effulgent; brilliant; brightly shining; gleaming.
* refulgent blue eyes*
184
doff
To take off; to remove.
*he had doffed his tie and jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves*
185
deliquescent
Tending to melt.
186
sibylline
Prophetic; oracular.
187
illiberality
opposed to liberal principles; restricting freedom of thought or behavior : *illiberal and anti-democratic policies.*
2 (rare) uncultured or unrefined.
3 (rare) not generous; mean.
188
reprobate
unprincipled (often used as a humorous or affectionate reproach)
* a long-missed old reprobate drinking comrade*
189
sesquipedalian
Tending to use long words; grossly wordy.
190
escutcheon
A ceremonial shield; a coat of arms; a protective, ornate plate.
191
sententious
Pithy; terse; short and concise; aphoristic; self-righteous; tending to be excessively moralizing.
192
access
A sudden outburst, often emotional in nature.
*I was suddenly overcome with an access of rage*
193
modish
conforming to or following what is currently popular and fashionable:
*it seems sad that such a scholar should feel compelled to use this modish jargon.*
194
injudicious
Not judicious; showing poor judgment; unwise.
195
recrudesce
break out again; recur.
*These political movements recrudesce from time to time*
196
remedial
giving or intended as a remedy or cure
*remedial surgery.*
197
diffident
modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence
*a diffident youth*
198
vivacious
(esp. of a woman) attractively lively and animated.
* a vivacious folk dance*
199
keen
having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm
*keen believers in the monetary system*
200
impunity
exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action
*the impunity enjoyed by military officers implicated in civilian killings*
201
salacious
treating sexual matters in an indecent way and typically conveying undue interest in or enjoyment of the subject :
*salacious stories.*
202
pulverous
Consisting of dust or powder; like powder
203
languid
having a disinclination for exertion or effort; slow and relaxed
*they turned with languid movements from back to front so as to tan evenly*
204
consequent
following as a result or effect
*labor shortages would be created with a consequent increase in wages*
205
understated
presented or expressed in a subtle and effective way
*understated elegance*
206
roman à clef
a novel with a key
207
derogate
To detract from
*this does not derogate from his duty to act honestly and faithfully*
208
derogate
To disparage (someone or something)
*it is typical of Pirandello to derogate the powers of reason*
209
immaculate
perfectly clean, neat, or tidy
*an immaculate white suit.*
210
esurient
hungry or greedy
*he fell into the esurient embrance of a predatory enemy*
211
indolent
wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy
*he lives indolently with his relatives*
212
insolence
showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect
*she hated the insolent tone of his voice*
213
provenance
the place of origin or earliest known history of something
*an orange rug of Iranian provenance*
214
215
milquetoast
a very timid person, who is easily dominated or intimidated
*a milquetoast who's afraid to ask for a raise*
