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General > Vocabulary/Definitions > Flashcards

Vocabulary/Definitions Flashcards

1
Q

Inductive reasoning vs. Deductive reasoning

A

Inductive reasoning is a bottom-up approach, from specific to general.
eg. Dogs A and B have fleas. All observed dogs have fleas. All dogs have fleas.

Deductive reasoning is top-down, from general premises to specific conclusions.
eg. All spiders have eight legs. A tarantula is a spider. Therefore, tarantulas have eight legs.

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2
Q

Richard Dawkins’ Meme

A

-unit of cultural transmission or imitation
-the cultural parallel to biological genes
-considered them as being in control of their own reproduction

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3
Q

Spandrel (architectural and evolutionary biology definition)

A

-roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, at top of arch or rectangular frame
-phenotypical trait that is a byproduct of some other characteristic eg. chin or recursion (clause within a clause), theorised by Noam Chomsky to be part of the Universal Grammar

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4
Q

Semantics

A

-how one’s lexicon, grammatical structures, tone and other elements of a sentence coalesce to communicate meaning

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5
Q

Syntax

A

-set of rules needed to ensure a sentence is grammatically correct

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6
Q

Bona fide & Bona fides

A
  1. genuine/real (from Latin: with good faith)
  2. informal for credentials
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7
Q

Epithet (examples)

A

a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing

eg. “Richard the Lion-Hearted” is an epithet of Richard I
eg. “man’s best friend” for “dog”

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8
Q

Subversive

A

tending or intending to overthrow, destroy, or undermine an established or existing system

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9
Q

Castigate/Chastise

A

Synonyms with similar etymology
Punish or censure someone

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10
Q

Cashed up bogan

A

A person who is unsophisticated or of a lower class background but achieving a high salary, who spends money on flashy or trashy items to fulfil their aspirations of higher social status

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11
Q

Normative vs Normal vs Norms

A

Normative - establishing (or trying to establish) certain rules about what we perceive as normal
Normal - usual/conforming to norms
Norms - the rules that govern our behaviour

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12
Q

Equivocate

A

use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself

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13
Q

Exhort

A

strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something

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14
Q

Obstinate
Obdurate
Intransigent

A

Obstinate: stubborn, tenaciously unwilling to yield
Obdurate: stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action
Intransigent: uncompromising, unwilling or refusing to change one’s views

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15
Q

Ostensible

A

stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so

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16
Q

Pernicious

A

having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way

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17
Q

Crass

A

showing no intelligence or sensitivity

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18
Q

Under the auspices

A

with the protection or support of something, especially an organization

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19
Q

Erudition

A

the quality of having or showing great knowledge or learning

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20
Q

Anaphora

A

the repetition of words or phrases in a group of sentences, clauses, or poetic lines
eg. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech
eg. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities

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21
Q

Tautology

A

Needless repetition of an idea, statement or word
eg. always and forever
eg. 8am in the morning

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22
Q

Outright vs Downright

A

Outright - complete, without reservation/unqualified, at once
Downright - directly to the point, complete, really/actually

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23
Q

Promulgate

A

Announce to the public, popularise, advocate

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24
Q

Denotation vs Connotation

A

Denotation - direct meaning
Connotation - ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it

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25
Q

Ecru

A

colour of unbleached linen, beige
French word écru means ‘raw, unbleached’

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26
Q

Chamois/Buff

A

Light brownish yellow
Chamois is also a goat-like animal native to the mountains of Europe and the Middle East

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27
Q

Preclude

A

Prevent from happening, make impossible

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28
Q

Ribald

A

referring to sexual matters in an amusingly coarse or irreverent way

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29
Q

Direction v Directive v Order

A

Direction - guideline
Directive - instruction
Order - command

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30
Q

Assuage

A

make an unpleasant feeling less intense

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31
Q

Milieu

A

a person’s social environment

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32
Q

Esoteric

A

intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest

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33
Q

Spurious

A

not being what it purports to be; false or fake

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34
Q

Purports

A

appear to be or do something, especially falsely

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35
Q

Hermeneutic

A

concerning interpretation

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36
Q

Perestroika

A

Perestroika was a political movement for reform within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during the late 1980s

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37
Q

Apropos

A

with reference to; concerning

38
Q

Intractable

A

Unmanageable, hard to control or deal with

39
Q

Abstemious

A

indulging only very moderately in something, especially food and drink

40
Q

Furtive

A

secretive, attempting to avoid notice or attention

41
Q

Vociferous

A

expressing or characterized by vehement opinions; loud and forceful

42
Q

Impudent/Impertinent

A

not showing due respect for another person, rude

43
Q

Ubiquitous

A

present, appearing, or found everywhere

44
Q

Complacent vs Complaisant

A
  1. showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements
  2. willing to please others or to accept what they do or say without protest
45
Q

Torrid

A

very hot and dry

46
Q

Disparaging

A

expressing the opinion that something is of little worth; derogatory

47
Q

Tacit

A

understood or implied without being stated; implicit

48
Q

Incipient/Nascent

A

beginning to happen or develop

49
Q

Derision

A

contemptuous ridicule or mockery

50
Q

Incorrigible/Inveterate

A

not able to be changed or reformed

51
Q

Repudiate

A

reject/deny

52
Q

Perfunctory

A

carried out without real interest, feeling, or effort

53
Q

Morose

A

sullen and ill-tempered

54
Q

Voluble

A

talking fluently, readily, or incessantly

55
Q

Assail

A

attack/assault
disturb
strongly criticize

56
Q

Corroborate

A

confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding)

57
Q

Precocious

A

having developed certain abilities or inclinations at an earlier age than is usual or expected

58
Q

Imprecation

A

a spoken curse

59
Q

Parochial

A

having a limited or narrow outlook or scope; relating to a church parish

60
Q

Lacuna

A

an unfilled space; a gap
(in anatomy: a cavity or depression, especially in bone)

61
Q

Reprobate

A

an unprincipled person

62
Q

Approbation

A

approval or praise

63
Q

Opprobrium

A

harsh criticism or censure; public disgrace

64
Q

Heuristic

A

enabling someone to discover or learn something for themselves

65
Q

Hubris

A

excessive pride or self-confidence

66
Q

Reticent

A

not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily

67
Q

Impunity

A

exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action

68
Q

Prevaricate

A

speak or act in an evasive way

69
Q

Congenial

A

pleasing or liked on account of having qualities or interests that are similar to one’s own

70
Q

Seminal

A

strongly influencing later developments

71
Q

Perennial

A

lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring

72
Q

Reprimand

A

formal expression of disapproval

73
Q

Attrition

A

process of reducing something’s strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure

74
Q

Nexus

A

central or focal point
connection or series of connections linking two or more things

75
Q

Rapacious

A

aggressively greedy or grasping

76
Q

Disparage

A

regard or represent as being of little worth

77
Q

Incisive

A
  1. (of a person or mental process) intelligently analytical and clear-thinking
  2. (of an action) quick and direct
78
Q

Miscreant

A

a person who has done something wrong or unlawful

79
Q

Dogma

A

a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true

80
Q

Promontory

A

point of high land that juts out into the sea or a large lake; a headland

81
Q

Fungible

A

replaceable by another identical item; mutually interchangeable

82
Q

Expedient

A

convenient and practical although possibly improper or immoral

83
Q

Vitriolic

A

filled with bitter criticism or malice

84
Q

Animus

A
  1. hostility or ill feeling
  2. motivation to do something
85
Q

Inexorable

A

impossible to stop or prevent
(person) unrelenting, impossible to persuade

86
Q

Cogent

A

clear, logical, and convincing

87
Q

Foment

A

instigate or stir up (an undesirable or violent sentiment or course of action)

88
Q

Portmanteau

A
  1. two-part suitcase
  2. a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others
    eg. motel, brunch. podcast (iPod and broadcast), mockumentary, smog (from smoke and fog)
89
Q

Clandestine

A

kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit

90
Q

Judicious

A

having, showing, or done with good judgement or sense

91
Q

Prosaic

A

relating to prose rather than poetry
commonplace/ordinary

General (3 decks)

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