Vocabulary Flashcards
(136 cards)
1
Q
Allergen
A
Substance that cause allergic reaction
2
Q
Abacus
A
An ancient counting device
3
Q
Abstain
A
Do without (voluntarily)
4
Q
Acrophobia
A
Fear of heights
5
Q
Advocate
A
Offer support; argue a certain point of view
6
Q
Aerie
A
Man-made habitat for birds
7
Q
Aficionado
A
Enthusiast
8
Q
Alchemy
A
Early (medieval) practice of chemistry
9
Q
Alliteration
A
Repetition of same first letter/sound in a line of poetry
10
Q
Ambiguous
A
Vague; not concise
11
Q
Anecdote
A
Short account of an interesting incident/event
12
Q
Arid
A
Extremely dry
13
Q
Anvil
A
Hard metal surface which upon a blacksmith hammers
14
Q
Arbiter (arbitrator)
A
One who settles/mediates a dispute
15
Q
Arthropoda
A
Small wingless insects
16
Q
Ballad
A
A story/note of drama
17
Q
Banal
A
Commonplace/trite
18
Q
Boulder
A
A very large stone
19
Q
Burl
A
A knot in a piece of wood
20
Q
Caliper
A
Instrument used to measure thickness
21
Q
Calligraphy
A
Handwriting
22
Q
Campaign
A
Series of related military operations
23
Q
Cartilage
A
Tough, elastic material forming part of skeletal structure
24
Q
Cartography
A
Making of maps/charts
25
Cascade
Tumbling flow of water (waterfall)
26
Coarse
Rough to the touch (opposite of silky)
27
Cobbler
A shoemaker
28
Colonnades
Strong columns that serve as support for buildings/structure
29
Combine
Machine used to harvest crops
30
Conduit
A tube for underground passage of electrical wire
31
Conductor
One who directs
32
Convivial
Fond of socializing with friends
33
Cornucopia
A horn shaped container (when filled, symbolize plenty)
34
Cottage
A small house
35
Credulous
Extremely naive/gullible
36
Crustacean
A water animal with a hard shell
37
Curator
Caretaker (of museums)
38
Daunt
Frighten, discourage, intimidate
39
Deciduous
A type of tree that loses its leaves in winter
40
Diatribe
A bitter outburst aimed at a person/idea
41
Dogmatic
Positive in one's opinion, overbearingly certain
42
Dormant
Inactive, quiet
43
Ebb
Fade, lessen, weaken
44
Embellish
Elaborate/enlarge in a decorative way
45
Epicure
A person with a refined taste in eating/drinking
46
Epicurean
One who is fond of pleasure and luxury
47
Epilogue
A concluding statement
48
Epitaph
A short statement said in memory of a dead person (on tombstones)
49
Facade
The decorative front of a building
50
Facet
A division/cut of a diamond
51
Fallow
Uncultivated, inactive
52
Famine
A period of extreme lack of food (caused by drought)
53
Fidelity
Loyalty to a person or cause
54
Fleet
A large armada of ships
55
Flimsy
Very light, lacking substance, not thick
56
Foreman
One who is in charge
57
Frank
Honest, straight-forward
58
Gaudy
Showy but cheap, flashy
59
Geyser
A fissure in the ground that spews water
60
Gorged
Consumed to excess, overeat
61
Gourmet
a person who is an expert in judging/choosing/preparing find food
62
Holster
A pocket for a gun/pistol
63
Hue
A certain shade of color
64
Humidor
A container for cigars
65
Hyacinth
A type of flower
66
Hydra
Serpent with 9 heads
67
Imbue
Fill, inspire
68
Impassive
W/o feeling/emotion
69
Impede
Hinder/halt some movement
70
Impel
Thrust forward (opposite of impede)
71
Inept
Lacking skill
72
Insatiable
A hunger that cannot be satisfied
73
Irrigation
Man made canals used to bring water to dry land
74
Lathe
Machine for working with wood/metal
75
Laud
Praise (opposite of criticize)
76
Lumen
A unit measuring intensity of light
77
Languish
Diminish, weaken
78
Mandrill
A type of monkey (baboon)
79
Manifest
A list of passengers for a plane/ship
80
Marsupial
An animal that carries its young in a pouch (kangaroo)
81
Mason
One who works with blocks/stones
82
Metaphysics
One who studies philosophy
83
Metropolis
A large city
84
Miser
One who is very cheap, a stingy person
85
Neurotic
A person suffering from obsessive desires
86
Niacin
A prescription drug that treats heart disease/high cholesterol
87
Nosegay
A bouquet of flowers
88
Numismatic
Study of coins and medals
89
Oxymoron
A phrase that contains an obvious contradiction
90
Palette
Thin board upon which colors are mixed by a painter
91
Pane
A plate of glass that is a component of a window
92
Paraffin
Wax-like substance use for making candles
93
Penurious
Stingy, unwilling to spend money, extremely poor
94
Philatelist
One who collects stamps
95
Physiognomy
Facial features
96
Piscine
Pertaining to fish
97
Placid
Calm, undisturbed
98
Plankton
Tiny creatures found in an ocean/sea
99
Pragmatist
One who gauges value by practical consequences
100
Prehensile
An appendage that is well-suited for grasping/seizing
101
Prolific
Able to produce abundantly
102
Prologue
An introduction
103
Prudent
Sensible, discreet, wisely cautious
104
Pumpernickel
A coarse, sour bread
105
Pundit
One known for rendering opinions
106
Pyrophobia
Fear of fire
107
Raconteur
A skilled teller of stories
108
Reclusive
Tending to withdraw from the company of others
109
Sapling
A young tree
110
Satellite
A small planet that revolves around a larger planet
111
Score
One-fifth of a century (20 years)
112
Scurvy
A disease caused by VitC deficiency
113
Shoal
A place where water is shallow and may cause a ship to run aground
114
Shutter
A device that opens/closes in front of camera lens
115
Singe
Burn slightly (esp. Around edges)
116
Slate
A list of candidates for a particular party/ticket
117
Slothful
Lazy, indolent, not industrious
118
Sonata
A piece of music
119
Spelunker
One who likes crowded/enclosed places
120
Spire
Narrow tip of a tower/steeple
121
Spoke
Part of a wheel that connects the center to its rim
122
Stolid
Impassive, showing no emotion
123
Stonehenge
An ancient man made rock formation found in England
124
Thicket
Very close growth of shrubs/bushes
125
Thrash
Beat (crops/wheat)
126
Throttle
A type of valve used to control flow of liquid
127
Tic
Small parasite of the skin often contracted in a forest
128
Triptych
A set of 3 panels with pictures/carvings
129
Trowel
A tool used by a bricklayer to spread mortar
130
Vassal
Tenant of a lord, servant, follower, slave
131
Vernancular
Slang, language of the common people
132
Verse
Component lines of poem
133
Vertigo
Dizziness and loss of balance
134
Virtuous
Exhibiting high moral excellence
135
Wary
Very cautious, alert, watchful
136
Zealot
A fanatic, extreme enthusiast
