Vocab. List 3 Flashcards
(18 cards)
Morpheme
The word “unbreakable” can be broken up into 3 morphemes: “un-break-able”.
The smallest unit of meaning in a language.
Ad hoc
We made some ad hoc changes to the plan
Not regular or planned, but arranged and done only when neccesary.
Sine qua non
Wind is the sine qua non of flying a kite.
A neccesary or essential condition without which something is not possible.
Obfuscate
The writer’s goal was to obfuscate the real issues with petty details.
To make something less clear and more difficult to understand.
Castigate
The boss never lost an opportunity to castigate his new employee.
To critisize or reprimand someone or something severely.
Boilerplate
He utilized a boilerplate in his essay.
A standardized text that can be used repeatedly in similar documents without needing to make major changes to the original
Allude, allusion
The song lyrics contianed many allusions.
An implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing or to a part of another text.
Conceit (of a film, novel, plot)
The film was faithful to the book series it was adapted from, but worked well with the conceit that the film was itself about a remake.
A phrase/notion that points to a unique layer of material in a project.
Reification, reify
The wedding ring is the reification of a couple’s love.
The act of treating an abstract concept as if it were a concrete object.
Elucidate
The man declined to elucidate futher.
To make something clear/easy to understand.
Canon, canonical
His writings were considered canonical by a vast majority of people.
The collection of works that are the most common;ly studied, read, and celebrated in a particular culture or language.
De facto
The city is rapdily becoming the de facto center of the financial world.
Existing in fact or reality, wheter with lawful authority or not.
Highbrow, lowbrow
The highbrow man was into operas and classical literature, while the lowbrow man was more into reality TV shows and comic books.
Intellectual or cultured tastes and interests; something more mainstream or less refined.
Trepidation
The man approached the snake with great trepidation.
A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.
Internalize
The kids have internalized their parents values.
To accept or absorb a feeling, attitude, belief, or idea so that it becomes part of your character or behavior.
Subversive
The group spread subversive propaganda around the city.
A systematic attempt to overthrow or undermine a government or political system.
Genesis
The genesis of the book stemmed from a desire to alert more people of the growing issue on climate change.
The origin of something, when it begun or starts to exist.
Pro forma
The meeting was pro forma since we had already reached a decision last week.
Something that is done as a simple formality or perfunctory manner.
