gre 2000-2500 Flashcards
(500 cards)
1
Q
lagoon
A
shallow body of water near a sea; lake (Eg: They enjoyed their swim in the calm lagoon. )
2
Q
laity
A
laypersons; persons not connected with the clergy (Eg: The laity does not always understand the clergy’s problems. )
3
Q
lambaste
A
beat; thrash verbally or physically (Eg: It was painful to watch the champion lambaste his opponent, tearing into him mercilessly. )
4
Q
lament
A
grieve; express sorrow (Eg: Even advocates of the war lamented the loss of so many lives in combat. )
5
Q
lampoon
A
ridicule (Eg: This article lampoons the pretensions of some movie moguls. )
6
Q
languid
A
weary; sluggish; listless (Eg: Her siege of illness left her languid and pallid. )
7
Q
languish
A
lose animation; lose strength (Eg: In stories, lovelorn damsels used to languish and pine away. )
8
Q
languor
A
lassitude; depression (Eg: His friends tried to overcome the languor into which he had fallen by taking him to parties and to the )
9
Q
lank
A
long and thin (Eg: lank, gaunt, Abraham Lincoln was a striking figure. )
10
Q
larceny
A
theft (Eg: Because of the prisoner’s record, the district attorney refused to reduce the charge from grand larceny to )
11
Q
larder
A
pantry; place where food is kept (Eg: The first thing Bill did on returning home from school was to check what snacks his mother had in the )
12
Q
largess
A
generous gift (Eg: Lady Bountiful distributed largess to the poor. )
13
Q
lascivious
A
lustful (Eg: Because they might arouse lascivious impulses in their readers, the lewd books were banned by the clergy. )
14
Q
lassitude
A
languor; weariness (Eg: The hot, tropical weather created a feeling of lassitude and encouraged drowsiness. )
15
Q
latent
A
dormant; hidden (Eg: Her latent talent was discovered by accident. )
16
Q
lateral
A
coming from the side (Eg: In order to get good plant growth, the gardener must pinch off all lateral shoots. )
17
Q
latitude
A
freedom from narrow limitations (Eg: I think you have permitted your son too much latitude in this matter. )
18
Q
laudable
A
praiseworthy; commendable (Eg: His laudable deeds will be remarked by all whom he aided. )
19
Q
laudatory
A
expressing praise (Eg: The critics’ laudatory comments helped to make her a star. )
20
Q
lavish
A
liberal; wasteful (Eg: The actor’s lavish gifts pleased her. )
21
Q
lax
A
careless (Eg: We dislike restaurants where the service is lax and inattentive. )
22
Q
leaven
A
cause to rise or grow lighter; enliven (Eg: As bread dough is leavened, it puffs up, expanding in volume. )
23
Q
lechery
A
gross lewdness; lustfulness (Eg: In his youth he led a life of lechery and debauchery; he did not mend his ways until middle age. )
24
Q
lectern
A
reading desk (Eg: The chaplain delivered his sermon from a hastily improvised lectern. )
25
leery
suspicious; cautious (Eg: Don't eat sushi at this restaurant; I'm a bit leery about how fresh it is. )
26
leeway
room to move; margin (Eg: When you set a deadline, allow a little leeway. )
27
legacy
a gift made by a will (Eg: Part of my legacy from my parents is an album of family photographs. )
28
legend
explanatory list of symbols on a map (Eg: The legend at the bottom of the map made it clear which symbols stood for rest areas along the highway )
29
legerdemain
sleight of hand (Eg: The magician demonstrated his renowned legerdemain. )
30
leniency
mildness; permissiveness (Eg: Considering the gravity of the offense, we were surprised by the leniency of the sentence. )
31
leonine
like a lion (Eg: He was leonine in his rage. )
32
lethal
deadly (Eg: It is unwise to leave lethal weapons where children may find them. )
33
lethargic
drowsy; dull (Eg: The stuffy room made her lethargic; she felt as if she was about to nod off. )
34
levee
earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding (Eg: As the river rose and threatened to overflow the levee, emergency workers rushed to reinforce the walls )
35
levitate
float in the air (especially by magical means) (Eg: As the magician passed his hands over the recumbent body of his assistant, she appeared to rise and )
36
levity
lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity (Eg: Stop giggling abd wriggling around in the pew; such levity is improper in church. )
37
levy
impose (a fine); collect (a payment) (Eg: Crying "No taxation withouth representation," the colonists demonstrated against England's power to levy )
38
lewd
lustful (Eg: They found his lewd stories objectionable. )
39
lexicographer
compiler of a dictionary (Eg: The new dictionary is the work of many lexicographers who spent years compiling and editing the work. )
40
lexicon
dictionary (Eg: I cannot find this word in any lexicon in the library. )
41
liability
drawback; debts (Eg: Her lack of an extensive vocabulary was a liability that she was able to overcome. )
42
liaison
officer who acts as go-between for two armies; intermediary (Eg: As the liason, he had to avoid offending the leaders of the two armies. )
43
libelous
defamatory; injurious to the good name of a person (Eg: He sued the newspaper because of its libelous story. )
44
libertine
debauched person, roue (Eg: )
45
libidinous
lustful (Eg: They objected to his libidinous behavior. )
46
libido
emotional urges behind human activity (Eg: The psychiatrist maintained that suppression of the libido often resulted in maladjustment and neuroses. )
47
libretto
text of an opera (Eg: The composer of an opera's music is remembered more frequently than the author of its libretto. )
48
licentious
wanton; lewd; dissolute (Eg: The licentious monarch helped bring about his country's downfall. )
49
lien
legal claim on a property (Eg: There was a delay before Ralph could take possession of his late uncle's home; apparently, another )
50
ligneous
like wood (Eg: Petrified wood may be ligneous in appearance, but it is stonelike in composition. )
51
lilliputian
extremely small (Eg: Tiny and delicate, the model was built on a lilliputian scale. )
52
limber
flexible (Eg: Hours of ballet classes kept him limber. )
53
limbo
region near heaven or hell where certain souls are kept (Eg: Among the divisions of Hell are Purgatory and limbo. )
54
limn
draw; outline; describe (Eg: Parodoxically, the more realistic the details this artist chooses, the better able to limn her fantastic, other- )
55
limpid
clear (Eg: A limpid stream ran through his property. )
56
lineage
descent; ancestry (Eg: He traced his lineage back to Mayflower days. )
57
lineaments
features, especially of the face (Eg: She quickly sketched the lineaments of his face. )
58
linguistic
pertaining to language (Eg: The modern tourist will encounter very little linguistic difficulty as English has become an almost universal )
59
lionize
treat as a celebrity (Eg: )
60
liquidate
settle accounts; clear up (Eg: He was able to liquidate all his debts in short period of time. )
61
list
tilt; lean over (Eg: That flagpole should be absolutely vertical; instead, it lists to one side. )
62
listless
lacking in spirit or energy (Eg: We had expected him to be full of enthusiasm and were surprised by his listless attitude. )
63
litany
supplicatory prayer (Eg: On this solemn day, the congregation responded to the prayers of the priest during the litany with fervor )
64
lithe
flexible; supple (Eg: Her figure was lithe and willowy. )
65
litigation
lawsuit (Eg: Try to settle this amicably; I do not want to start litigation. )
66
litotes
understatement for emphasis (Eg: To say, "He little realizes," when we mean that he does not realize at all, is an example of the kind of )
67
livid
lead-coloredl; black and blue; ashen; enraged (Eg: His face was so livid with rage that we were afraid that he might have an attack of apoplexy. )
68
loath
averse; reluctant (Eg: They were both loath for him to go. )
69
loathe
detest (Eg: We loathed the wicked villain. )
70
lode
metal-bearing vein (Eg: If this lode that we have discovered extends for any distance, we have found a fortune. )
71
lofty
very high (Eg: They used to tease him about his lofty ambitions. )
72
loiter
hang around; linger (Eg: The policeman told him not to loiter in the alley. )
73
loll
lounge about (Eg: They lolled around in their chairs watching television. )
74
longevity
long life (Eg: When he reached ninety, the old man was proud of his longevity. )
75
lope
gallop slowly (Eg: As the horses loped along, we had an opportunity to admire the ever-changing scenery. )
76
loquacious
talkative (Eg: She is very loquacious and can speak on the telephone for hours. )
77
lout
clumsy person (Eg: The delivery boy is an awkward lout. )
78
low
moo (Eg: From the hilltop, they could see the herd like ants in the distance; they could barely hear the cattle low. )
79
lucid
easily understood; clear; intelligible (Eg: Her explanation was lucid enought for a child to grasp. )
80
lucrative
profitable (Eg: He turned his hobby into a lucrative profession. )
81
lucre
money (Eg: Preferring lucre to undying fame, he wrote stories of popular appeal. )
82
ludicrous
laughable; trifling (Eg: Let us be serious; this is not a ludicrous issue. )
83
lugubrious
mournful (Eg: The lugabrious howling of the dogs added to our sadness. )
84
lull
moment of calm (Eg: Not wanting to get wet, they waited under the awning for a lull in the rain. )
85
lumber
move heavily of clumsily (Eg: Still somewhat torpid after its long hibernation, the bear lumbered through the woods. )
86
lumen
unit of light energy (one candle's worth) (Eg: In buying light bulbs, she checked not only their power, as measured in watts, but their brightness, as )
87
luminary
celebrity; dignitary (Eg: A leading light of the American stage, Ethel Barrymore was a theatrical luminary whose name lives on. )
88
luminous
shining; issuing light (Eg: The sun is a luminous body. )
89
lunar
pertaining to the moon (Eg: lunar craters can be plainly seen with the aid of a small telescope. )
90
lurid
wild; sensational (Eg: The lurid stories he told shocked his listeners. )
91
lurk
stealthily lie in waiting; slink; exist unperceived (Eg: "Who knows what evils lurk in the hearts of men? The shadow knows." )
92
luscious
pleasing to taste or smell (Eg: The ripe peach was luscious. )
93
luster
shine; gloss (Eg: The soft luster of the silk in the dim light was pleasing. )
94
lustrous
shining (Eg: Her large and lustrous eyes gave a touch of beauty to an otherwise drab face. )
95
luxuriant
fertile; abundant; ornate (Eg: Farming was easy in this luxuriant soil. )
96
laxative
facilitating evacuation of the bowels (Eg: The effect of the constipation medicine is laxative; it empties the bowels. )
97
macabre
gruesome; grisly (Eg: The city morgue is a macabre spot for the uninitiated. )
98
mace
ceremonial staff; clublike medieval weapon (Eg: The Grand Marshal of the parade raised his mace to signal that it was time for the procession to begin. )
99
macerate
soften by soaking in liquid; waste away (Eg: The strawberries had been soaking in the champagn for so long that they had begun to macerate: they )
100
machiavellian
crafty; double-dealing (Eg: I do not think he will be a good embassador because he is not accustomed to the machiavellian )
101
machinations
schemes (Eg: I can see through your wily machinations. )
102
maculated
spotted; stained (Eg: Instead of writing that Gorbachev had a birthmark on his forehead, the pompous young poet sang of the )
103
madrigal
pastoral song (Eg: His program of folk songs included several madrigals which he sang to the accompaniment of a lute. )
104
maelstrom
whirlpool (Eg: The canoe was tossed about in the maelstrom. )
105
magisterial
authoritative; imperious (Eg: The learned doctor laid down the law to his patient in a magisterial tone of voice. )
106
magnanimity
generosity (Eg: Noted for his magnanimity, philanthropist Eugene Lang donated millions to charity. )
107
magnate
person of prominence or influence (Eg: The steel magnate decided to devote more time to city politics. )
108
magniloquent
boastful, pompous (Eg: In their stories of the trial, the reporters ridiculed the magniloquent speeches of the defense attorney. )
109
magnitude
greatness; extent (Eg: It is difficult to comprehend the magnitude of his crime. )
110
maim
mutilate; injure (Eg: The hospital could not take care of all who had been mangled or maimed in the railroad accident. )
111
maladroit
clumsy; bungling (Eg: In his usual maladroit way, he managed to upset the cart and spill the food. )
112
malaise
uneasiness; distress (Eg: She felt a sudden vague malaise when she heard sounds at the door. )
113
malapropism
comic misuse of a word (Eg: When Mrs. Malaprop criticizes Lydia for being "as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile," she )
114
malcontent
person dissatisfied with existing state of affairs (Eg: He was one of the few malcontents in the Congress; he constantly voiced his objections to the Presidential )
115
malediction
curse (Eg: The witch uttered maledictions against her captors. )
116
malefactor
criminal (Eg: We must try to bring these malefactors to justice. )
117
malevolent
wishing evil (Eg: We must thwart his malevolent schemes. )
118
malfeasance
wrongdoing (Eg: The authorities did not discover the campaign manager's malfeasance until after he had spent most of the )
119
malicious
dictated by hatred or spite (Eg: The malicious neighbor spread the gossip. )
120
malign
speak evil of; defame (Eg: Because of her hatred of the family, she maligns all who are friendly to them. )
121
malignant
having an evil influence; virulent (Eg: This is a malignant disease; we must have to use drastic measures to stop its spread. )
122
malingerer
one who feigns illness to escape duty (Eg: The captain ordered the sergeant to punish all malingerers and force them to work. )
123
malleable
capable of being shaped by pounding (Eg: Gold is a malleable metal. )
124
malodorous
foul-smelling (Eg: The component heap was most malodorous in summer. )
125
mammal
vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young (Eg: Many people regard the whale as a fish and do not realize that it is a mammal. )
126
mammoth
gigantic (Eg: The mammoth corporations of the twentieth century are a mixed blessing )
127
manacle
restrain; handcuff (Eg: The police immediately manacled the prisoner so he could not escape. )
128
mandate
order; charge (Eg: In his inaugural address, the President stated that he had a mandate from the people to seek an end to )
129
mandatory
obligatory (Eg: These instructions are mandatory; any violation will be severely punished. )
130
mangy
shabby; wretched (Eg: We finally thew out the mangy rug that the dog had destroyed. )
131
maniacal
raving mad (Eg: His maniacal laughter frightened us. )
132
manifest
understandable; clear (Eg: His evil intentions were manifest and yet we could not stop him. )
133
manifestation
outward demonstration; indication (Eg: Mozart's early attraction to the harsichord was the first manifestation of his pronounced musical bent. )
134
manifesto
declaration; statement of policy (Eg: The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels proclaimed the principles of modern communism. )
135
manifold
numerous; varied (Eg: I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate your manifold kindnesses. )
136
manipulate
operate with the hands; control or change by artful means (Eg: How do you manipulate these puppets? )
137
mannered
affected; not natural (Eg: Attempting to copy the style of his wealthy neighbors, Gatsby adopted a mannered, artificial way of )
138
manumit
emancipate; free from bondage (Eg: Enlightened slave owners were willing to manumit their slaves and thus put an end to the evil slavery in the )
139
marital
pertaining to marriage (Eg: After the publication of his book on marital affairs, he was often consulted by married people on the verge )
140
maritime
bordering on the sea; nautical (Eg: The maritime Provinces depend on the sea for their wealth. )
141
marked
noticeable; targeted for vengeance (Eg: He walked with a marked limp, a souvenir of an old IRA attack. As British ambassador, he knew he was a )
142
marred
damaged; disfigured (Eg: She had to refinish the marred surface of the table. )
143
marshal
put in order (Eg: At a debate tournament, extemporaneous speakers have only a minute or two to marshal their thoughts )
144
marsupial
one of a family of mammals that nurse their offspring in a pouch (Eg: The most common marsupial in North America is the opposum. )
145
martial
warlike (Eg: The sound of marital music was always inspiring to the young poet. )
146
martinet
strict disciplinarian (Eg: The commanding officer was a martinet who observed each regulation to the ltter. )
147
masochist
person who enjoys his own pain (Eg: The masochist begs, "Hit me." The sadist smiles and says, "I won't." )
148
masticate
chew (Eg: We must masticate our food carefully and slowly in order to avoid digestive disorders. )
149
materialism
preoccupation with physical comforts and things (Eg: By its nature, materialism is opposed to idealism, for where the materialist emphasizes the needs of the )
150
maternal
motherly (Eg: )
151
matriarch
woman who rules a family or larger social group (Eg: The matriarch ruled her gypsy tribe with a firm hand. )
152
martrix
point of origin; array of numbers or algebraic symbols; mold or die (Eg: Some historians claim the Nile Valley was the matrix of the Western civilization. )
153
maudlin
effusively sentimental (Eg: I do not like such maudlin pictures. I call them tearjerkers. )
154
maul
handle roughly (Eg: The rock star was mauled by his overexcited fans. )
155
mausoleum
monumental tomb (Eg: His body was placed in the family mausolem. )
156
mauve
pale purple (Eg: The mauve tint in the lilac bush was another indication that spring had finally arrived. )
157
maverick
rebel; nonconformist (Eg: To the masculine literary establishment, George Sand with her insistence on wearing trousers and smoking )
158
mawkish
sickening; insipid (Eg: Your mawkish sighs fill me with disgust. )
159
maxim
proverb; a truth pithily stated (Eg: Aesop's fables illustrate moral maxims. )
160
mayhem
injury to the body (Eg: The riot was marked not only by mayhem, with its attendant loss of life and limb, but also by arson and )
161
meager
scanty; inadequate (Eg: His salary was far too meager for him to afford to buy a new car. )
162
mealymouthed
indirect speech; hypocritical; evasive (Eg: Rather than tell Jill directly what he disliked, Jack made a few mealymouthed comments and tried to change )
163
meander
to wind or turn in its course (Eg: It is difficult to sail up this stream because of the way it meanders through the countryside. )
164
meddlesome
interfering (Eg: He felt his marriage was suffering because of his meddlesome mother-in-law. )
165
mediate
settle a dispute through the services of an outsider (Eg: Let us mediate out differences rather than engage in a costly strike. )
166
mediocre
ordinary; commonplace (Eg: We were disappointed because he gave a rather mediocre performance in this role. )
167
meditation
reflection; thought (Eg: She reached her decision only after much meditation. )
168
medley
mixture (Eg: The band played a medley of Gershwin tunes. )
169
meek
submissive; patient and long-suffering (Eg: Mr. Barrett never expected his meek daughter would dare to defy him by eloping with her suitor. )
170
megalomania
mania for doing grandiose things (Eg: Developers who spend millions trying to build the world's tallest skyscraper suffer from megalomania. )
171
melee
fight (Eg: The captain tried to ascertain the cause of the melee that had broken out among the crew members. )
172
mellifluous
flowing smoothly; smooth (Eg: Italian is a mellifluous language. )
173
memento
token; reminder (Eg: Take this book as a memento of your visit. )
174
memorialize
commemorate (Eg: Let us memorialize his great contribution by dedicating this library in his honor. )
175
mendacious
lying; false (Eg: He was pathological liar, and his friends learned to discount his mendacious stories. )
176
mendicant
beggar (Eg: From the moment we left the ship, we were surrounded by mendicants and peddlers. )
177
menial
suitable for sevants; low (Eg: I cannot understand why a person of your ability and talent should engage in such menial activities. )
178
mentor
counselor; teacher (Eg: During this very trying period, she could not have had a better mentor, for the teacher was sympathetic )
179
mercantile
concerning trade (Eg: I am more interested in the opportunites available in the mercantile field than I am in those in the legal )
180
mercenary
motivated solely by money or gain (Eg: "I'm not in this war because I get my kicks waving flags," said the mercenary soldier. "I'm in it for the )
181
mercurial
fickle; changing (Eg: He was of a mercurial temperament and therefore unpredictable. )
182
meretricious
flashy; tawdry; falsely attractive (Eg: Her jewels were inexpensive but not meretricious. )
183
merger
combination (of two business corporations) (Eg: When the firm's president married the director of financial planning, the office joke was that it wasn't a )
184
mesmerize
hypnotize (Eg: The incessant drone seemed to mesmerize him and place him in a trance. )
185
metallurgical
pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores (Eg: During the course of his metallurgical research, the scientist developed a steel alloy of tremendous )
186
metamorphosis
change of form (Eg: The metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly is typical of many such changes in animal life. )
187
metaphor
implied comparison (Eg: "He soared like an eagle" is an example of a simile; "He is an eagle in flight," is a metaphor. )
188
metaphysical
pertaining to speculative philosophy (Eg: The modern poets have gone back to the fanciful poems of the metaphysical poets of the seventeenth )
189
mete
measure; distribute (Eg: He tried to be impartial in his efforts to mete out justice. )
190
meteoric
swift; momentarily brilliant (Eg: We all wondered at his meteoric rise to fame. )
191
methodical
systematic (Eg: An accountant must be methodical and maintain order among his financial records. )
192
meticulous
excessively careful (Eg: He was meticulous in checking his accounts and never made mistakes. )
193
metropolis
large city (Eg: Every evening this terminal is filled with the thousands of commuters who are going from this metropolis )
194
mettle
courage; spirit (Eg: When challenged by the other horses in the race, the thoroughbred proved its mettle by its determination )
195
miasma
swamp gas; heavy, vaporous atmosphere, often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive (Eg: corrupting influence )
196
microcosm
small world (Eg: In the microcosm of our rural village, we find illustrations of all the evils that beset the universe. )
197
migrant
changing its habitat; wandering (Eg: These migrant birds return every spring. )
198
migratory
wandering (Eg: The return of the migratory birds to the northern sections of this country is a harbinger of spring. )
199
milieu
environment; means of expression (Eg: His milieu is watercolors, although he has produced excellent oil paintings and lithographs. )
200
militant
combative; bellicose (Eg: Althoughat this time he was advocating a policy of neutrality, one could usually find him adopting a more )
201
militate
work against (Eg: Your record of lateness and absence will militate against your chances of promotion. )
202
millenium
thousand-year period; period of happiness and prosperity (Eg: I do not expect the milennium to come during my lifetime. )
203
mimicry
imitation (Eg: Her gift for mimicry was so great that her friends said that she should be in the theater. )
204
minatory
menacing; threatening (Eg: Jabbing a minatory forefinger at Dorothy, the Wicked Witch cried, "I'll get you, and your little dog, too!" )
205
mincing
affectedly dainty (Eg: Yum-Yum walked across the stage with mincing steps. )
206
minion
a servile dependent (Eg: He was always accompanied by several of his minions because he enjoyed their subservience and flattery. )
207
minuscule
extremely small (Eg: Why should I involve myself with a project with so minuscule a chance for success? )
208
minute
extremely small (Eg: The twins resembled one another closely; only minute differences set them apart. )
209
minutiae
petty details (Eg: She would have liked to ignore the minutiae of daily living. )
210
mirage
unreal reflection; optical illusion (Eg: The lost prospector was fooled by a mirage in the desert. )
211
mire
entangle; stick in swampy ground (Eg: Their rear wheels became mired in mud. )
212
mirth
merriment; laughter (Eg: Sober Malvolio found Sir Toby's mirth improper. )
213
misadventure
mischance; ill luck (Eg: The young explorer met death by misadventure. )
214
misanthrope
one who hates mankind (Eg: We thought the hermit was a miantrope because he shunned our society. )
215
misapprehension
error; misunderstanding (Eg: To avoid msapprehension, I am going to ask all of you to repeat the instructions I have given. )
216
miscellany
mixture of writings on various subjects (Eg: This is an interesting miscellany of nineteenth-century prose and poetry. )
217
mischance
ill luck (Eg: By mischance, he lost his week's salary. )
218
misconstrue
interpret incorrectly; misjudge (Eg: She took the passage seriously rather than humourously because she misconstrued the author's ironic tone. )
219
miscreant
wretch; villain (Eg: His kindness to the miscreant amazed all of us who had expected to hear severe punishment pronounced. )
220
misdemeanor
minor crime (Eg: The culprit pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor rather than face trial for a felony. )
221
miserly
stingy; mean (Eg: The miserly old man hoarded his coins not out of prudence but out of greed. )
222
misgivings
doubts (Eg: Hamlet described his misgivings to Horatio but decided to fence with Laertes despite his foreboding of )
223
mishap
accident (Eg: With a little care you could have avoided this mishap. )
224
misnomer
wrong name; incorrect designation (Eg: His tyrannical conduct proved to all that his nickname, King Eric the Just, was a misnomer. )
225
misogamy
hatred of marriage (Eg: He remained a bachelor not because of misogamy but because of ill fate: his fiancee died before the )
226
misogynist
hater of women (Eg: She accused him of being a misogynist because he had been a bachelor all his life. )
227
missile
object to be thrown or projected (Eg: Scientists are experimenting with guided missiles. )
228
missive
letter (Eg: The ambassador received a missive from the Secretary of State. )
229
mite
very small object or creature; small coin (Eg: Gnats are annoying mites that sing. )
230
mitigate
appease (Eg: Nothing he did could mitigate her wrath; she was unforgiving. )
231
mnemonic
pertaining to memory (Eg: He used mnemonic tricks to master new words. )
232
mobile
movable; not fixed (Eg: The mobile blood bank operated by the Red Cross visited our neighborhood today. )
233
mode
prevailing style (Eg: She was not used to their lavish mode of living. )
234
modicum
limited quantity (Eg: Although his story is based on a modicum of truth, most of the events he describes are fictitious. )
235
modish
fashionable (Eg: She always discarded all garments that were no longer modish. )
236
modulation
toning down; changing from one key to another (Eg: When we she spoke, it was with quiet modulation of voice. )
237
mogul
powerful person (Eg: The oil moguls made great profits when the price of gasoline rose. )
238
molecule
the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the properties of that (Eg: substance )
239
mollify
soothe (Eg: We tried to mollify the hysterical child by promising her many gifts. )
240
mollycoddle
pamper; indulge excessively (Eg: Don't mollycoddle the boy, Maud! You'll spoil him. )
241
molt
shed or cast off hair or feathers (Eg: The male robin molted in the spring. )
242
molten
melted (Eg: The city of Pompeii was destroyed by volcanic ash rather than by molten lava flowing from Mount )
243
momentous
very important (Eg: On this momentous occasion, we must be very solemn. )
244
momentum
quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus (Eg: The car lost momentum as it tried to ascend the steep hill. )
245
monarchy
government under a single hereditary ruler with varying degrees of power (Eg: England today remains a monarchy. )
246
monastic
related to monks (Eg: Wanting to live a religious life, he took his monastic vows. )
247
monetary
pertaining to money (Eg: Jane held the family purse strings: she made all monetary decisions affecting the household. )
248
monochromatic
having only one color (Eg: Most people who are color blind actually can distinguish several colors; some, however, have a truly )
249
monolithic
solidly uniform; unyielding (Eg: Knowing the importance of appearing resolute, the patriots sought to present a monolithic front. )
250
monotheism
belief in one God (Eg: Abraham was the first to proclaim his belief in monotheism. )
251
monotony
sameness leading to boredom (Eg: He took a clerical job, but soon grew to hate the monotony of his daily routine. )
252
monumental
massive (Eg: Writing a dictionary is a monumental task. )
253
moodiness
fits of depression or gloom (Eg: We could not discover the cause of her recurrent moodiness. )
254
moratorium
legal delay of payment (Eg: If we declare a moratorium and delay collection of debts for six months, I am sure the farmers will be able )
255
morbid
given to unwholesome thought; gloomy (Eg: These morbid speculations are dangerous; we must lighten our spirits by emphasizing more pleasant )
256
mordant
biting; sarcastic; stinging (Eg: Actors feared the critic's mordant pen. )
257
mores
customs (Eg: The mores of Mexico are those of Spain with some modifications. )
258
moribund
at the point of death (Eg: The doctors called the family to the bedside of the moribund patient. )
259
morose
ill-humored; sullen (Eg: When we first meet Hamlet, we find him morose and depressed. )
260
mortician
undertaker (Eg: The mortician prepared the corpse for burial. )
261
mortify
humiliate; punish the flesh (Eg: She was so mortified by her blunder that she ran to her room in tears. )
262
mosaic
picture made of smell, colorful inlaid tiles (Eg: The mayor compared the ciry to a beautiful mosaic made up of people of every race and religion on earth. )
263
mote
small speck (Eg: The tiniest mote in the eye is very painful. )
264
motif
theme (Eg: This simple motif runs throughout the score. )
265
motility
ability to move spontaneously (Eg: Certain organisms exhibit remarkable motility; motile spores, for example, may travel for miles before )
266
motley
parti-colored; mixed (Eg: The captain had gathered a motley crew to sail the vessel. )
267
mottled
spotted (Eg: When he blushed, his face took on a mottled hue. )
268
mountebank
charlatan; boastful pretender (Eg: The patent medicine man was a mountebank. )
269
muddle
confuse; mix up (Eg: His thoughts were muddled and chaotic. )
270
muggy
warm and damp (Eg: August in New York City is often muggy. )
271
mulct
defraud a person of something (Eg: The lawyer was accused of trying to mulct the boy of his legacy. )
272
multifarious
varied; greatly diversified (Eg: A career woman and mother, she was constantly busy with the multifarious activities of her daily life. )
273
multiform
having many forms (Eg: Snowflakes are multiform but always hexagonal. )
274
multilingual
having many languages (Eg: Because they are bordered by so many countries, the Swiss people are multilingual. )
275
multiplicity
state of being numerous (Eg: He was appalled by the multuplicity of details he had to complete before setting out on his mission. )
276
mundane
worldly as opposed to spiritual (Eg: He was concerned only with mundane matters, especially the daily stock market quotations. )
277
munificent
very generous (Eg: The munificent gift was presented to the bride by her rich uncle. )
278
murkiness
darkness; gloom (Eg: The murkiness and fog of the waterfront that evening depressed me. )
279
muse
ponder (Eg: For a moment he mused about the beauty of the scene, but his thought soon changed as he recalled his )
280
musky
having the odor of musk (Eg: She left a trace of musky perfume behind her. )
281
muster
gather; assemble (Eg: Washington mustered his forces at Trenton. )
282
musty
stale; spoiled by age (Eg: The attic was dark and musty. )
283
mutable
changing in form; fickle (Eg: His opinion were mutable and easily influenced by anyone who had any powers of persuasion. )
284
muted
silent; muffled; toned down (Eg: In the funeral parlor, the mourners' voices had a muted quality. )
285
mutilate
maim (Eg: The torturer threatened to mutilate his victim. )
286
mutinous
unruly; rebellious (Eg: The captain had to use force to quiet his mutinous crew. )
287
myopic
nearsighted (Eg: In thinking only of your present needs and ignoring the future, you are being rather myopic. )
288
myriad
very large number (Eg: myriads of mosquitoes from the swamps invaded our village every twilight. )
289
mutter
murmur or grumble (Eg: The child muttered at the doll. )
290
millinery
person who makes or sells women's hats (Eg: The millinery displayed fashionable hats in the street where many women passed by. )
291
nadir
lowest point (Eg: Although few people realized it, the Dow-Jones averages had reached their nadir and would soon begin an )
292
naivete
quality of being unsophisticated (Eg: I cannot believe that such naivete is unassumed in a person of her age and experience. )
293
narcissist
conceited person (Eg: A narcissist is his own best friend. )
294
narrative
related to telling a story (Eg: A born teller of tales, Olsen used her impressive narrative skills to advantage in her story "I Stand Here )
295
nascent
incipient; coming into being (Eg: If we could identify these revolutionary movements in their nascent state, we would be able to eliminate )
296
natation
swimming (Eg: The Red Cross emphasizes the need for courses in natation. )
297
natty
neatly or smartly dresssed (Eg: Priding himself on being a natty dresser, the gangster Bugsy Siegel collected a wardrobe of imported suits )
298
nauseate
cause to become sick; fill with disgust (Eg: The foul smells began to nauseate him. )
299
nautical
pertaining to ships or navigation (Eg: The Maritime Museum contains many models of clipper ships, logbooks, anchors and many other items of )
300
nebulous
vague; hazy; cloudy (Eg: She had only a nebulous memory of her grandmother's face. )
301
necromancy
black magic; dealings with the dead (Eg: Because he was able to perform feats of necromancy, the natives thought he was in league with the devil. )
302
nefarious
very wicked (Eg: He was universally feared because of his many nefarious deeds. )
303
negation
denial (Eg: I must accept his argument since you have been unable to present any negation of his evidence. )
304
negligence
carelessness (Eg: negligence can prove costly near complicated machinery. )
305
negligible
so small, trifling, or unimportant as to be easily disregarded (Eg: Because the damage to his car had been negligible, Michael decided he wouldn't bother to report the )
306
nemesis
revenging agent (Eg: Captain Bligh vowed to be Christian's nemesis. )
307
neologism
new or newly coined word or phrase (Eg: As we invent new techniques and professions, we must also invent neologisms such as "microcomputer" )
308
neophyte
recent convert; beginner (Eg: This monuntain slope contains slides that will challenge esperts as well as neophytes. )
309
nepotism
favoritism (to a relative) (Eg: John left his position with the company because he felt that advancement was based on nepotism rather )
310
nether
lower (Eg: Tradition locates hell in the nether regions. )
311
nettle
annoy; vex (Eg: Do not let him nettle you with his sarcastic remarks. )
312
nexus
connection (Eg: I fail to see the nexus that binds these two widely separated events. )
313
nib
beak; pen point (Eg: The nibs of fountain pens often become clotted and corroded. )
314
nicety
precision; minute distinction (Eg: I cannot distinguish between such niceties of reasoning. )
315
niggardly
meanly stingy; parsimonious (Eg: The niggardly pittance the widow receives from the government cannot keep her from poverty. )
316
niggle
spend too much time on minor points; carp (Eg: Let's not niggle over details. )
317
nihilism
denial of traditional values; total skepticism (Eg: nihilism holds that existence has no meaning. )
318
nirvana
Buddihist teachings, the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an (Eg: impersonal beatitude )
319
nocturnal
done at night (Eg: Mr. Jones obtained a watchdog to prevent the nocturnal raids on his chicken coops. )
320
noisome
foul smelling; unwholesome (Eg: I never could stand the noisome atmosphere surrounding the slaughter houses. )
321
nomadic
wandering (Eg: Several nomadic tribes of Indians would hunt in this area each year. )
322
nomenclature
terminology; system of names (Eg: She struggled to master scientific nomenclature. )
323
nominal
in name only; trifling (Eg: He offered to drive her to the airport for only a nominal fee. )
324
nonchalance
indifference; lack of interest (Eg: Few people could understand how he could listen to the news of the tragedy with such nonchalance; the )
325
noncommittal
neutral; unpledged; undecided (Eg: We were annoyed by his noncommittal reply for we had been led to expect definite assurances of his )
326
nondescript
undistinctive; ordinary (Eg: The private detective was a short, nondescript fellow with no ourstanding features, the sort of person one )
327
nonentity
person of no importance; nonexistence (Eg: Don't dismiss John as a nonentity; in his quiet way, he's very important to the firm. )
328
nonplus
bring to a halt by confusion; perplex (Eg: Jack's uncharacteristic rudeness nonplussed Jill, leaving her uncertain how to react. )
329
nostalgia
homesickness; longing for the past (Eg: The first settlers found so much work to do that they had little time for nostalgia. )
330
nostrum
questionable medicine (Eg: No quack selling nostrums is going to cheat me. )
331
notoriety
disrepute; ill fame (Eg: To the starlet, any publicity was good publicity: if she couldn't have a good reputation, she'd settle for )
332
novelty
something new; newness (Eg: )
333
novice
beginner (Eg: Even a novice can do good work if he follows these simple directions. )
334
noxious
harmful (Eg: We must trace the source of these noxious gases before they asphyxiate us. )
335
nuance
shade of difference in meaning or color (Eg: The unskilled eye of the layperson has difficulty in dicerning the nuances of color in the paintings. )
336
nubile
marrigeable (Eg: Mrs. Bennet, in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, was worried about finding suitable husbands for her )
337
nugatory
futile; worthless (Eg: This agreement is nugatory for no court will enforce it. )
338
nullify
to make invalid (Eg: Once the contract was nullified, it no longer had any legal force. )
339
numismatist
person who collects coins (Eg: The numismatist had a splendid collection of antique coins. )
340
nuptial
related to marriage (Eg: Their nuptial ceremony was performed in Golden Gate Park. )
341
nurture
nourish; educate; foster (Eg: The head Start program attempts to nurture prekindergarten children so that they will do well when they )
342
nutrient
nourishing substance (Eg: As a budding nutritionist, Kim has learned to design diets that contain foods rich in important basic )
343
oaf
stupid, awkward person (Eg: He called the unfortunate waiter a clumsy oaf. )
344
obdurate
stubborn (Eg: He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints. )
345
obeisance
bow (Eg: She made an obeisance as the king and queen entered the room. )
346
obelisk
tall column tapering and ending in a pyramid (Eg: Cleopatra's Needle is an obelisk in New York City's Central Park. )
347
obese
excessively fat (Eg: It is advisable that obese people try to lose weight. )
348
obfuscate
confuse; muddle (Eg: Do not obfuscate the issues by dragging in irrelevant arguments. )
349
obituary
dealth notice (Eg: I first learned of her death when I read the obituary in the newspaper. )
350
objective
not influenced by emotions; fair (Eg: Even though he was her son, she tried to be objective about his behavior. )
351
objective
goal; aim (Eg: A degree in medicine was her ultimate objective. )
352
obligatory
binding; required (Eg: It is obligatory that books borrowed from the library be returned within two weeks. )
353
oblique
slanting; deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line (Eg: The sergeant ordered the men to march "oblique right." )
354
obliterate
destroy completely (Eg: The tidal wave obliterated several island villages. )
355
oblivion
forgetfulness (Eg: Her work had fallen into a state of oblivion; no one bothered to read them. )
356
obloquy
slander; disgrace; infamy (Eg: I resent the obloquy that you are casting upon my reputation. )
357
obnoxious
offensive (Eg: I find your behavior obnoxious; please mend your ways. )
358
obscure
dark; vague; unclear (Eg: Even after I read the poem a fourth time, its meaning was still obscure. )
359
obscure
darken; make unclear (Eg: At times he seemed purposely to obscure his meaning, preferring mystery to clarity. )
360
obsequious
slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic (Eg: Helen valued people who behaved as if they respected themselves; nothing irritated her more than an )
361
obsequy
funeral ceremony (Eg: Hundreads paid their last respects at his obsequies. )
362
obsession
fixed idea; continued brooding (Eg: This obsession with the supernatural has made him unpopular with his neighbors. )
363
obsidian
clak volcanic rock (Eg: The deposits of obsidian on the mountain slopes were an indiacation that volcano had erupted in ancient )
364
obsolete
outmoded (Eg: "Hip" is an obsolete expression; it went out with love beads and tie-dye shirts. )
365
obstetrician
physician specializing in delivery of babies (Eg: Unlike midwives, who care for women giving birth at home, obstetricians generally work in a hospital )
366
obstinate
stubborn (Eg: We tried to persuade him to give up smoking, but he was obstinate and refused to change. )
367
obstreperous
boisterous; noisy (Eg: The crowd became obstreperous and shouted their disapproval of the proposals made by the speaker. )
368
obtrusive
pushing forward (Eg: I found her a very obstrusive person, constantly seeking the center of the stage. )
369
obtuse
blunt; stupid (Eg: Because he was so obtuse, he could not follow the teacher's reasoning and asked foolish questions. )
370
obviate
make unnecessary; get rid of (Eg: I hope this contribution will obviate any need for further collections of funds. )
371
occident
the West (Eg: It will take occident to understand the ways and customs of the orient. )
372
occlude
shut; close (Eg: A blood clot occluded an artery to the heart. )
373
occult
mysterious; secret; supernatural (Eg: The occult rites of the organization were revealed only to members. )
374
oculist
physician who specialized in treatment of the eyes (Eg: In many states, an oculist is the only one who may apply medicinal drops to the eyes for the purpose of )
375
odious
hateful (Eg: I find the task of punishing you most odious. )
376
odium
repugnance; dislike (Eg: I cannot express the odium I feel at your heinous actions. )
377
odoriferous
giving off an odor (Eg: )
378
odorous
having an odor (Eg: This variety of hybrid tea rose is more odorous than the one you have in your garden. )
379
odyssey
long, evenful journey (Eg: The refugee's journey from Cambodia was a terrifying odyssey. )
380
offensive
attacking; insulting; distasteful (Eg: Getting into street brawls is no minor offense for professional boxers, who are required by law to restrict )
381
offhand
casual; done without prior thought (Eg: Expecting to be treated with due propriety by her costs, Great-Aunt Maud was offended by their offhand )
382
officious
meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services (Eg: After her long flight, Jill just wanted to nap, but the officious bellboy was intent on showing her all the )
383
ogle
glance coquettishly at; make eyes at (Eg: Sitting for hours at the sidewalk cafe, the old gentleman would oggle the young girls and recall his youthful )
384
olfactory
concerning the sense of smell (Eg: The olfactory organ is the nose. )
385
oligarchy
government by a few (Eg: The feudal oligarchy was supplanted by an autocracy. )
386
ominous
threatening (Eg: Those clouds are ominous; they suggest that a severe storm is on the way. )
387
omnipotent
all-powerful (Eg: The monarch regarded himself as omnipotent and responsible to no one for his acts. )
388
omnipresent
universally present; ubiquitous (Eg: On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus is omnipotent. )
389
omniscient
all-knowing (Eg: I do not pretend to be omniscient, but I am positive about this fact. )
390
omnivorous
eating both plant and animal food; devouring everything (Eg: Some animals, including humans, are omnivorous and eat both meat and vegetables; others are either )
391
onerous
burdensome (Eg: He asked for an assistant because his work load was too onerous. )
392
onomatopoeia
words formed in imitation of natural sounds (Eg: Words like "rustle" and "gargle" are illustrations of onomatopoeia. )
393
onslaught
vicious assault (Eg: We suffered many casualties during unexpected onslaght of the enemy troops. )
394
onus
burden; responsibility (Eg: The emperor was spared the onus of signing the surrender papers; instead, he relegated the assignment to )
395
opalescent
iridescent (Eg: The Ancient Mariner admired the opalescent sheen on the water. )
396
opaque
dark; not transparent (Eg: The opaque window kept the sunlight out of the room. )
397
opiate
sleep producer; deadener of pain (Eg: By such opiates, she made the people forget their difficulties and accept their unpleasant circumstances. )
398
opportune
timely; well chosen (Eg: You have come at an opportune moment for I need a new secretary. )
399
opportunist
individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances (Eg: Forget about ethics! He's such an opportunist that he'll vote in favor of any deal that will give him a break. )
400
opprobrium
infamy; vilification (Eg: He refused to defend himself against the slander and opprobrium hurled against him by the newspapers; he )
401
optician
maker and seller of eyeglasses (Eg: The patient took the prescription given him by his oculist to the optician. )
402
optimist
person who looks on the bright side (Eg: The pessimist says the glass is half-empty; the optimist says it is half-full. )
403
optimum
most favorable (Eg: If you wait for the optimum moment to act, you may never begin your project . )
404
optional
not compulsory; left to one's choice (Eg: I was impressed by the range of optional accessories for my microcomputer that were available. )
405
optometrist
one who fits glasses to remedy visual defects (Eg: Although an optometrist is qualified to treat many eye disorders, she may not use medicinesor surgery in )
406
opulence
extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance (Eg: The glitter and opulence of the ballroom took Cinderella's breath away. )
407
opus
work (Eg: )
408
oracular
foretelling; mysterious (Eg: Oedipus could not understand the oracular warning he received. )
409
oratorio
dramatic poem set to music (Eg: The Glee Club decided to present an oratorio during their recital. )
410
ordain
command; arrange; consecrate (Eg: The king ordained that no foreigner should be allowed to enter the city. )
411
ordeal
severe trial or affliction (Eg: Terry Anderson spoke movingly of his long ordeal as a hostage in Lebanon. )
412
ordinance
decree (Eg: Passing a red light is a violation of a city ordinance. )
413
ordination
ceremony conferring holy orders (Eg: The candidate for ordination had to meet with the bishop and the diocean officers before being judged )
414
orient
get one's bearings; adjust (Eg: Philip spent his first day in Denver orienting himself to the city. )
415
orientation
act of finding oneself in society (Eg: Freshman orientation provides the incoming students with an opportunity to learn about their new )
416
orifice
mouthlike opening; small opening (Eg: The Howe Caverns were discovered when someone observed that a cold wind was issuing from an orifice )
417
ornate
excessively or elaborately decorated (Eg: Furniture of the Baroque period can be recognized by its ornate carvings. )
418
ornithologist
scientific student of birds (Eg: Auduborn's drawings of American bird life have been of interest not only to the ornithologists but also to )
419
orthodox
traditional; conservative in belief (Eg: Faced with a problem, he preferred to take an orthodox approach rather than shock anyone. )
420
orthography
correct spelling (Eg: Many of us find English orthography difficult to master because so many of our words are written )
421
oscillate
vibrate pendulumlike; waver (Eg: It is interesting to note how public opinion oscillates between the extremes of optimism and pessimism. )
422
osseus
made of bone; bony (Eg: The hollow "soft spot" found at the top of the infant's skull gradually closes as new osseus tissue fills in the )
423
ossify
change or harden into bone (Eg: When he called his opponent a "bonehead," he implied that his adversary's brain had ossified and that he )
424
ostensible
apparent; professed; pretended (Eg: Although the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands, we are really interested in )
425
ostentatious
showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention (Eg: Trump's latest casino in Atlantic City is the most ostentatious gambling place in the East: it easily )
426
ostracize
exclude from public favor; ban (Eg: As soon as the newspapers carried the story of his connection with the criminals, his friends began to )
427
oust
expel; drive out (Eg: The world wondered if Aquino would be able to oust Marcos from office. )
428
outlandish
bizzare; peculiar; unconventional (Eg: The eccentric professor who engages in markedly outlandish behavior is a stock figure in novels with an )
429
outmoded
no longer stylish; old-fahioned (Eg: Unconcerned about keeping in style, Lenore was perfectly happy to wear outmoded clothes as long as they )
430
outskirts
fringes; outer borders (Eg: Living outskirts of Boston, Sarah sometimes felt as if she were cut off from the cultural heart of the city. )
431
outspoken
candid; blunt (Eg: The candidate was too outspoken to be a successful politician; he had not yet learned to weigh his words )
432
outrtip
surpass; outdo (Eg: Jesse Owens easily outstripped his competitors to win the gold metal at the Olympic Games. )
433
outwit
outsmart; trick (Eg: By disguising himself as an old woman, Holmes was able to outwit his pursuers and escape capture. )
434
ovation
enthusiastic applause (Eg: When Placido Domingo came on stage in the first act of La Boheme, he was greeted by a tremendous )
435
overbearing
bossy; arrogant; decisively important (Eg: )
436
overt
open to view (Eg: According to the United States Constitution, a person must commit an overt act before he may be tried for )
437
overweening
presumptuous; arrogant (Eg: His overweening pride in his accomplishments was not justified. )
438
overwrought
extremely agitated; hysterical (Eg: When Kate heard the news of the sudden tragedy, she became too overwrought to work and had to leave )
439
ovoid
egg-shaped (Eg: At Easter she had to cut out hundreds of brightly colored ovoid shapes. )
440
overhaul
thoroughly examine the condition of and repair if necessary (Eg: It is necessary for the engineers of NASA to overhaul the rocket everyday; otherwise, an incident similar to )
441
pachyderm
thick-skinned animal (Eg: The elephant is probably the best-known pachyderm. )
442
pacifist
one opposed to force; antimilitarist (Eg: The pacifists urged that we reduce our military budget and recall our troops stationed overseas. )
443
pacify
soothe; make calm or quiet; subdue (Eg: Dentists criticize the practice of giving fussy children sweets to pacify them. )
444
paean
song of praise or joy (Eg: paeans celebrating the victory filled the air. )
445
painstaking
showing hard work; taking great care (Eg: The new high-frequency word list is the result of painstaking efforts on the part of our research staff. )
446
palatable
agreeable; pleasing to the taste (Eg: Neither Jack's underbaked opinions nor his overcooked casseroles were palatable to me. )
447
palatial
magnificent (Eg: He proudly showed us through his palatial home. )
448
paleontology
study of prehistoric life (Eg: )
449
palette
board on which a painter mixes pigments (Eg: At the present time, art supply stores are selling a paper palette that may be discarded after use. )
450
palimpsest
parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased (Eg: Using chemical reagents, scientists have been able to restore the original writings on many palimpsests. )
451
pall
grow tiresome (Eg: The study of word lists can eventually pall and put one to sleep. )
452
pallet
small, poor bed (Eg: The weary traveler went to sleep on his straw pallet. )
453
palliate
ease pain; make less severe or offensive (Eg: If we cannot cure this disease at present, we can, at least try to palliate the symptoms. )
454
pallid
pale; wan (Eg: Because his occupation required that he work at night and sleep during the day, he had an exceptionally )
455
palpable
tangible; easily perceptible (Eg: I cannot understand how you could overlook such a palpable blunder. )
456
palpitate
throb; flutter (Eg: As he became excited, his heart began to palpitate more and more erratically. )
457
paltry
insignificant; petty (Eg: This is a paltry sum to pay for such a masterpiece. )
458
pan
criticize harshly (Eg: Hoping for a rave review of his new show, the playwright was miserable when the critics panned it )
459
panacea
cure-all; remedy for all diseases (Eg: There is no easy panacea that will solve our complicated international situation. )
460
panache
flair; flamboyance (Eg: Many performers imitate Noel Coward, but few have his panache and sense of style. )
461
pandemic
widespread; affecting the majority of people (Eg: They feared the AIDS epidemic would soon reach pandemic proportions. )
462
pandemonium
wild tumult (Eg: When the ships collided in the harbor, pandemonium broke out among the passengers. )
463
pander
cater to the low desires of others (Eg: The reviewer accused the makers of Lethal Weapon of pandering to the masses' taste of violence. )
464
panegyric
formal praise (Eg: The modest hero blushed to hear the speakers delivering panegyrics about his valorous act. )
465
panoramic
denoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view (Eg: On a clear day, from the top of the World Trade Center you can get a panoramic view of New York City )
466
pantomime
acting without dialogue (Eg: Because he worked in pantomime, the clown could be understood wherever he appeared. )
467
papyrus
ancient paper made from stem of papyrus plant (Eg: The ancient Egyptians were among the first to write on papyrus. )
468
parable
short, simple story teaching a moral (Eg: Let us apply to our own conduct the lesson that this parable teaches. )
469
paradigm
model; example; pattern (Eg: Pavlov's experiment in which he trains a dog to salivate on hearing a bell is a paradigm of the conditioned- )
470
paradox
statement that looks false but is actually correct; a contradictory statement (Eg: Wordworth's "The child is father to the man" is an example of paradox. )
471
paragon
model of perfection (Eg: The class disliked him because the teacher was always pointing him out as a paragon of virtue. )
472
parallelism
state of being parallel; similarity (Eg: There is a striking parallelism between the twins. )
473
parameter
limit; independent variable (Eg: We need to define the parameters of the problem. )
474
paramount
foremost in importance; supreme (Eg: Proper nutrition and hygiene are of paramount importance in adolescent development and growth. )
475
paramour
illicit lover (Eg: She sought a divorce on the grounds that her husband had a paramour in another town. )
476
paranoia
psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution (Eg: Suffering from paranois, he claimed everyone was out to get him; ironically, his claim was accurate; even )
477
paraphernalia
equipment; odds and ends (Eg: His desk was cluttered with paper, pen, ink, dictionary and other paraphernalia of the writing craft. )
478
paraphrase
restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of author (Eg: In 250 words or less, paraphrase this article. )
479
parasite
animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant (Eg: )
480
parched
extremely dry; very thirsty (Eg: The parched desert landscape seemed hostile to life. )
481
pariah
social outcast (Eg: I am not a pariah to be shunned and ostracized. )
482
parity
equality; close resemblance (Eg: I find your analogy inaccurate because I do not see the parity between the two illustrations. )
483
parlance
language; idiom (Eg: All this legal parlance confuses me; I need an interpreter. )
484
parley
conference (Eg: The peace parley has not produced the anticipated truce. )
485
parochial
narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes (Eg: Although Jane Austen writes novels set in small rural communities, her concerns are universal, not )
486
parody
humorous imitation; travesty (Eg: We enjoyed the clever parodies of popular songs that the chorus sang. )
487
paroxysm
fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage (Eg: When he heared of his son's misdeeds, he was seized by a paroxysm of rage. )
488
parquet
floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosic-like pattern. (Eg: In laying the floor, the carpenters combined redwood and oak in an elegant parquet. )
489
parry
ward off a blow (Eg: He was content to wage a defensive battle and tried to parry his opponent's thrusts. )
490
parsimonious
stingy; excessively frugal (Eg: His parsimonious nature did not permit him to enjoy any luxuries. )
491
partial
incomplete (Eg: In this issue we have published only a partial list of contributors because we lack space to acknowledge )
492
partial
biased; having a liking for something (Eg: I am extremely partial to chocolate eclairs. )
493
partiality
inclination; bias (Eg: As a judge, not only must I be unbiased, but I must also avoid any evidence of partiality when I award the )
494
partisan
one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party (Eg: On certain issues of conscience, she refused to take a partisan stand. )
495
passe
old-fashioned; past the prime (Eg: Her style is passe and reminiscent of the Victorian era. )
496
passive
not active; acted upon (Eg: Mahatma Gandhi urged his followers to pursue a program of passive resistance as he felt that it was more )
497
pastiche
imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing (Eg: We cannot even say that her music is a pastiche of this or that composer; it is rather, reminiscent of many )
498
pastoral
rural (Eg: In these stories of pastoral life, we find an understanding of the daily tasks of country folk. )
499
patent
open for the public to read; obvious (Eg: It was patent to everyone that the witness spoke the truth. )
500
pathetic
causing sadness, compassion, pity; touching (Eg: Everyone in the auditorium was weeping by the time he finished his pathetic tale about the orphaned boy. )
