English Vocab 3 Flashcards
(18 cards)
morpheme
Contracted word forms may be morphemes.
A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning within a word.
ad hoc
I work for her on an ad hoc basis.
when necessary or needed.
sine qua non
A healthy individual is a sine qua non for a healthy society.
an essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary.
obfuscate
The main thing is to confuse and obfuscate the audience.
render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.
castigate
The judge castigated the lawyers for their lack of preparation.
reprimand (someone) severely.
boilerplate
We’ve seen a distinct change in the boilerplate of contracts.
rolled steel for making boilers.
allude, allusion
we will allude briefly to the main points
The lyrics contain biblical allusions.
to refer casually or indirectly; make an allusion (usually followed by to ):
a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by implication:
conceit
He jotted down the conceits of his idle hours.
an excessively favorable opinion of one’s own ability, importance, wit, etc.
reification, reify
His movie is basically a reification of 1950s-style American toughness.
He differed with metaphysicians because they reified words and treated them as if they were realities.
the process or result of reifying
to consider or represent (something abstract) as a material or concrete thing : to give definite content and form to (a concept or idea)
elucidate
work such as theirs will help to elucidate this matter
make (something) clear; explain.
canon, canonical
I’ve read the whole canon
The canonical excommunication of the bishops for their illegal ordinations was considered
The works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic.
According to recognised or orthodox rules.
de facto
The city is rapidly becoming the de facto center of the financial world.
in fact, or in effect, whether by right or not.
highbrow, lowbrow
the show was accused of being too highbrow
The movie’s humor is clearly meant for a lowbrow audience.
scholarly or rarefied in taste.
not highly intellectual or cultured.
trepidation
the men set off in fear and trepidation
a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.
internalize
Initially, students only have to listen to internalize the sounds of the language.
make (attitudes or behavior) part of one’s nature by learning or unconscious assimilation.
subversive
these subversive elements were regarded as a danger to society
seeking or intended to subvert an established system or institution.
genesis
The genesis for this book was a desire to grasp the nature of religious belief.
the origin or mode of formation of something.
pro forma
The meeting was strictly pro forma, since the decision had already been made.
done or produced as a matter of form.
