Set 17 Flashcards
(199 cards)
2
Q
transitory
A
transient; impermanent; fleeting; n. transitoriness
3
Q
hothead
A
person who does things too quickly without thinking; adj. hotheaded
4
Q
interdict
A
prohibit; forbid; n.
5
Q
punctilious
A
minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points; stressing niceties of conduct or form; n. punctilio, punctiliousness: careful attention payed to every small exact detail
6
Q
shaving
A
very thin piece, usually of wood (cut from a surface with a sharp blade)
7
Q
concoct
A
prepare by mixing or combining; make up in concert; devise (something false) so as to deceive; ex. concoct an elaborate excuse for being late; n. concoction
8
Q
expedient
A
suitable (for a particular purpose although not necessarily morally correct); practical; politic(prudent); n. something expedient
9
Q
subdue
A
less intense; quieter; ex. subdued lighting; ex. subdue: conquer; make less intense; quiet; ex. subdue one’s anger
10
Q
compilation
A
listing of information in tabular or book form; compiling
11
Q
ornithologist
A
scientific student of birds; n. ornithology: scientific study of birds
12
Q
cartographer
A
map-maker
13
Q
nadir
A
lowest point; point on the celestial sphere diametrically opposite the zenith
14
Q
mimicry
A
imitation
15
Q
deploy
A
spread out (troops) in an extended though shallow battle line; distribute (persons or forces) systematically or strategically
16
Q
tender
A
offer formally; extend; ex. tender one’s resignation/the exact fare; n. formal offer; money; ex. legal tender; adj. young and vulnerable; sensitive to the touch; sore; soft; delicate; ex. child of tender years; ex. tender wound
17
Q
reminiscent
A
suggestive of something (in the past); of reminiscence
18
Q
anachronism
A
an error involving time in a story; something or someone misplaced in time; adj. anachronistic
19
Q
genuflect
A
bend the knee as in worship
20
Q
vigilante
A
one who without authority assumes law enforcement powers
21
Q
tawny
A
brownish yellow
22
Q
centaur
A
mythical figure, half man and half horse
23
Q
pathological
A
pertaining to disease; n. pathology: study of disease
24
Q
egotistical
A
egotistic; excessively self-centered(egocentric); self-important; conceited
25
Q
jibe
A
agree; be in harmony with; gibe
26
graduated
arranged by degrees (of height, difficulty, etc.)
27
luxuriant
abundant; growing healthily and in large amounts; excessively ornate; rich and splendid; fertile; ex. luxuriant forests/prose; ex: luxurious, luxuriate
28
juggernaut
irresistible crushing force; overwhelming advancing force that crushes everything in its path
29
coy
shy (flirtatiously); showing a (pretended) lack of self-confidence; modest; coquettish; ex: job offerü? ???ñËÈ ¦¤
30
verisimilitude
appearance of truth; quality of appearing to be true or real; likelihood; ex. verisimilitude of her performance as Lady Macbeth
31
nebulous
vague; hazy; cloudy; of a nebula; ex. nebulous proposal
32
sophisticated
worldly wise and urbane; refined; complex; n. sophistication; v. sophisticate
33
calamity
disaster; misery
34
despot
tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; ex: despotism
35
poise
good judgment with composure; balance; v. place in a carefully balanced position
36
dissertation
formal essay; treatise
37
dais
raised platform for speakers or other important people
38
palette
board on which painter mixes pigments(coloring matters)
39
impregnate
make pregnant; fill thoroughly; saturate
40
conservatory(conservatoire)
school of the fine arts (especially music or drama); glass-enclosed area; ex: conservancy
41
lumen
unit of light energy (one candle's worth)
42
steep
soak; saturate; ex. steep the fabric in the dye bath; adj. precipitous
43
pecuniary
pertaining to money
44
lagoon
shallow body of water or lake near a sea; lake separated from a sea by sandbars or coral reefs
45
futile
useless; hopeless; ineffectual
46
supercilious
haughty; arrogant; condescending; patronizing; ex: eyebrow, cilium
47
mettle
courage (to continue bravely in spite of difficulties); spirit; adj. mettlesome
48
succinct
brief, terse, compact
49
flounder
struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter (as in water, mud, snow, etc.); proceed in confusion
50
mar
spoil the appearance of
51
affiliation
joining; associating with
52
embitter
make bitter; fill with painful or bitter feelings; make sad and angry; ex. He was embittered by many disappointments.
53
apocryphal
(of a story) widely believed but untrue
54
perspicuity
clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity
55
stalemate
deadlock; situation in which further action is blocked
56
decorum
propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners; appropriateness of behavior or conduct
57
shear
remove (fleece or hair) by cutting; remove the hair or fleece from; cut with or as if with shears; n. shears; pair of scissors
58
singular
being only one; individual; unique; extraordinary; odd; ex. singular beauty/behavior
59
irreproachable
beyond reproach; blameless; impeccable; ex. irreproachable conduct
60
poignancy
quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion; adj. poignant: touching; deeply moving; (of sorrow, grief, etc.) painful; keenly distressing to the mind; ex. poignant memory/anxiety; ex: prick
61
demagogue
person who appeals to people's prejudice; false leader of people; ex: demagoguery
62
persevere
continue steadily in spite of difficulties
63
penology
study of prison management and criminal rehabilitation
64
dross
waste matter; worthless impurities
65
awful
terrible; very bad
66
levity
lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity; lightness of manner
67
entrance
put under a spell(condition caused by magical power); carry away(fill with strong feeling) with emotion; put into a trance; fill with delight
68
intolerant
not willing to accept ways of thinking different from one's own; ex: tolerant; ex: tolerate
69
catastrophe
calamity ; disaster
70
paraphrase
restate a passage in one's own words while retaining thought of author; n. restatement of a text in other words
71
choleric
hot-tempered; bad-tempered; irritable; easily angered; ex: cholera
72
tact
skill or sensitivity in dealing with people without causing offence
73
gargantuan
huge; enormous; gigantic; ex: the hero of Gargantua and Pantagruel
74
partiality
state of being partial; inclination; favorable bias; special fondness; preference
75
sumptuous
grand suggesting great expense; lavish; rich; ex. sumptuous feast
76
cite
quote; commend; ex. cited for bravery in an official record
77
brawny
muscular; having well-developed muscles
78
paleontology
study of prehistoric life or fossils; ex: paleo-: ancient or prehistoric; ex. paleography: study of ancient written documents
79
far-fetched
too improbable to be believed; implausible; ex. far-fetched story
80
illusory
illusive; deceptive; not real
81
factious
inclined to form factions; causing dissension
82
penitent
repentant; n.
83
verdigris
green coating or patina on copper which has been exposed to the weather
84
carping
petty criticism; fault-finding; fretful complaining; quibble
85
plummet
fall sharply; fall straight down; ex. Stock prices plummeted.
86
prolixity
tedious wordiness; verbosity; adj. prolix: wordy; verbose; diffuse
87
alluvial
pertaining to soil deposits left by running water
88
refulgent
effulgent; brilliant; brightly shining; gleaming; ex. refulgent moon
89
blas\'e
bored with pleasure or dissipation; uninterested or bored
90
trim
make neat or tidy by clipping; reduce by removing what is unnecessary; ornament; decorate (round the edges); ex. trim the cost; ex. jacket trimmed with fur; n. adj. tidy; in good order
91
decorous
proper (in behavior, conduct, or appearance)
92
replenish
fill up again
93
obsidian
black volcanic rock
94
musty
stale (in odor or taste); spoiled by age; ex: moist
95
pessimism
belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess; tendency to take the gloomiest possible view of a situation; adj. pessimistic
96
interrogate
question closely; cross-examine; cross-question
97
animus
hostile feeling or intent; animosity; hostility; disposition
98
glow
shine brightly without a flame (as of eyes or metals); show redness and heat (in the face) after hard work or because of strong feelings; n. light produced by a heated body; brilliance of a color
99
hoodwink
deceive; delude
100
bullion
gold and silver in the form of bars
101
compulsion
compelling; strong desire that is difficult to control; irresistible impulse
102
fuss:
trouble or worry over trifles; make nervous; pay too much attention to; n. needless concern or worry (about a trivial thing); anxious nervous condition; display of attention; ex. make a fuss over the baby
103
generality
vague statement; general statement which is not detailed; quality of being general; greater part; most; ex. generality of people
104
invalid
one incapacitated(disabled) by a chronic illness; adj. incapacitated by illness; not valid; null; v. allow to leave (a military force) because of ill-health
105
allegory
story, play, or picture in which characters are used as symbols; fable
106
infest
inhabit in numbers large enough to be harmful; ex. Mice infested the house; ex. shark-infested waters
107
eventual
happening at last as a result; ex. eventual victory
108
allude
refer indirectly; n. allusion: indirect reference
109
violate
break (a law); defile; desecrate; assault sexually; ex. violate graves
110
porous
full of pores; like a sieve
111
diligence
steadiness of effort; persistent hard work
112
embody
give a bodily form to; incorporate; include
113
luminary
celebrity (in a specific field); dignitary; object that gives light (as a celestial body)
114
caldron(cauldron)
large kettle
115
postmortem
autopsy; adj. occurring after death; of a postmortem
116
indignation
anger at an injustice; ex. righteous indignation; adj. indignant
117
impalpable
imperceptible(not easily understood); intangible; OP. palpable: tangible; easily perceptible
118
remote
distant in manner; aloof
119
celibate
abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried; n. celibacy
120
pedestrian
ordinary; dull; unimaginative(lacking in imagination); going on foot; ex. pedestrian prose; n.
121
affront
insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect; v. insult or hurt the feelings of intentionally
122
disband
dissolve; disperse; (of a group) break up and separate; ex. The club has disbanded.
123
polarity
state of having two opposite qualities
124
sallow
(of the skin) yellowish and unhealthy-looking; sickly in color; ex. sallow complexion due to jaundice
125
congruent
in agreement; harmonious; corresponding; coinciding exactly; ex: congruous
126
ephemeral
short-lived; fleeting
127
articulate
effective; distinct; expressing ideas clearly; having clear sounds; having joints; ex. articulate speech; v. express thoughts and feeling clearly; pronounce clearly; unite by joints
128
strut
pompous walk; v. walk in a self-important manner
129
dank
damp; unpleasantly wet
130
furrow
long shallow trench made by a plow; deep wrinkle in the skin; v.
131
muster
gather; assemble (troops); ex. muster up one's strength for the ordeal; n.
132
vogue
popular fashion; ex. Jeans became the vogue.
133
raucous
(of voice) harsh and unpleasant; (of people) disorderly and boisterous; ex. raucous shouts
134
ordinance
decree; authoritative order
135
penury
extreme poverty; stinginess; adj. penurious: very poor; stingy
136
rotunda
circular building or hall covered with a dome
137
odium
detestation; quality of being odious; hatefulness; disrepute (resulting from hateful conduct)
138
underlying
lying below; fundamental
139
legacy
gift made by a will; something handed down from an ancestor
140
wary
very cautious; watchful
141
waffle
speak equivocally about an issue; n.
142
histrionic
theatrical; excessively dramatic or emotional; affected; of actors or acting; n. histrionics: histrionic behavior
143
carcinogenic
causing cancer; n. carcinogen
144
maelstrom
violent whirlpool; violent or tublent situation; ex: stream
145
precipitant
something that causes a substance in a chemical solution to separate out in solid form; €¤ËŸç?; OP. solvent
146
outwit
outsmart; defeat by behaving more cleverly
147
compact
agreement; contract; adj. tightly packed; firm; brief; concise; ex. compact statement
148
infraction
violation (of a rule or regulation); breach
149
lectern
reading desk or stand for a public speaker
150
metaphor
implied comparison; ex: simile
151
earthly
of this earth; terrestrial; worldly; not divine; possible; ex. no earthly reason
152
disengage
uncouple; separate; disconnect; stop fighting; OP. engage
153
clich\'e
phrase dulled in meaning by repetition; platitude; adj. clich\'ed
154
desultory
aimless; haphazard; digressing at random
155
asperity
sharpness; roughness; severity (of temper or weather); ex. asperities of a Russian winter
156
haggard
wasted away; gaunt; ex. haggard faces of the rescued miners
157
rectify
set right; correct; ex: rect-: right
158
litter
waste material thrown away (as bits of paper scattered untidily); v. cover untidily with scattered litter
159
enjoin
command; order; forbid
160
recidivism
habitual return to crime (even after being punished); n. recidivist
161
embrace
hug; clasp with the arms; adopt or espouse; accept readily; encircle; include; ex. embrace the cause/socialism; ex. all-embracing; ex: brace; ex: bracelet
162
sybarite
lover of luxury; person devoted to pleasure and luxury; ex: Sybaris: an ancient Greek city in Italy
163
eulogistic
praising; full of eulogy
164
hierarchy
arrangement by rank or standing; authoritarian body divided into ranks; body of persons having authority
165
aegis
shield; protection; defense
166
allege
state without proof
167
imbibe
drink in
168
obeisance
bow (to show respect and obedience)
169
comprehensive
broad; including a lot or everything; thorough; inclusive
170
prop
support placed under or against something; v.
171
bulge
protruding part; swelling of a surface; ex. The apple made a bulge in his pocket; v. swell outward; protrude
172
quail
cower; shrink back in fear; lose heart
173
plaintive
expressing sorrow; mournful; ex. plaintive song
174
subsequent
following in time or order; later
175
vendetta
blood feud (esp. between two families); ex: Nina Williams
176
stellar
pertaining to the stars; of a star performer; outstanding; ex. stellar attraction of the entire performance
177
undertaker
funeral director; one whose business is to arrange burials
178
disjunction
act or state of separation; disunity; ex: disjunctive: expressing a choice between two ideas; ex: conjunction; ex: conjunctive
179
cadaver
corpse; dead human body
180
solecism
nonstandard grammatical construction; construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically; violation of social etiquette
181
propagate
increase in number by producing young; multiply; spread; ex. Most plants propagate by seed; ex. newspaper propagating their ideas
182
historical
connected with history; based on events in history (whether regarded as important or not)
183
stilted
bombastic; stiffly pompous; ex. stilted rhetoric; ex: stiff: formal
184
equivocal
(of words or statements) ambiguous; intentionally misleading; (of behavior) questionable; OP. unequivocal
185
mutter
utter (complaining words) indistinctly in low tones
186
intractable
unruly; difficult to manage; ex. intractable problem/child
187
contrite
penitent; repentant; n. contrition
188
abash
embarrass
189
stickler
perfectionist; person who insists things be exactly right
190
factitious
artificial; produced artificially; sham; false; ex. factitious tears
191
obsolete
outmoded; no longer used
192
gargoyle
waterspout carved in grotesque figures on a building
193
toga
Roman outer robe
194
filth
dirty matter; adj. filthy
195
brusque
blunt; abrupt; curt; not wanting to waste time being nice
196
roil
make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; disturb
197
taut
tight; strained; tense; ready; OP. slack
198
pervert
corrupt; turn from right to wrong; misuse; ex. perverted sexual desire/scientific knowledge; n. person whose sexual behavior is not natural
199
impotent
weak; ineffective; lacking in physical strength or power
200
velocity
speed
