Vocabulary Set 12 (25.4.13) Flashcards
(72 cards)
1
Q
gobbet (gobb it) (n.)
A
*a piece of food, flesh, or other matter
ex: I spat a gobbet of phlegm into the sand.
* a small fragment or extract
ex: a gobbet of information
2
Q
fatling (fat ling) (n.)
A
- a young animal fattened for slaughter
ex: The merchant eyed the fatling with greed, knowing its plump frame would fetch a fine price at market.
3
Q
vesture (ves ture) (n.)
A
- An archaic or poetic term for clothing or garments in general. It can refer to attire in a broad, elegant sense.
ex: The knight’s silver vesture shimmered in the torchlight.
(Note: Vestment is for ceremonial or official garments, especially those worn by clergy or for religious rituals (e.g., “The priest donned his vestments”)
4
Q
digraph (die graf) (n.)
A
- a combination of two letters representing one sound, as in ph and ey and sh.
ex: I tripped over the nasal digraph.
5
Q
dram (dram) (n.)
A
- a small portion of something to drink
ex: This 46-year-old whiskey yielded a dark, decadent, delicious dram. - a small amount
ex: Let me offer a dram of advice
6
Q
swatch (swatch) (n.)
A
- a small collection
ex: The directive could impact a wide swatch of migrants. - patch
ex: In fact, the goal is for Herro not to have to deal with a swatch of arms between himself and the basket.
7
Q
gilt (gilt) (adj.) (n.)
A
- covered with gold or gilt : of the color of gold // gilt is not solid gold
ex: The artwork was kept in a cheap gilt frame. - gold or something that resembles gold laid on a surface
ex: The temple’s domes caught the morning sun, their gilt gleaming like fire against the sky. - superficial brilliance
ex: Beneath the politician’s polished words lay little substance, the speech all gilt and no gold.
8
Q
plinth (plinth) (n.)
A
- the lowest member of a base : subbase
- a block upon which the moldings of an architrave or trim are stopped at the bottom
- a usually square block serving as a base
ex: Children play on the pedestals and plinths that once held towering statues of Mr. al-Assad.
9
Q
retrocede (retro ceed) (v.)
retrocession (retro cesh in) (n.)
A
- to go back : recede
ex: Why was Alexandria allowed to retrocede in 1846? (v.) - the state of going back
ex: one above the other in terraced retrocession (n.)
10
Q
Hoist with one’s own petard (Shakespearean idiom)
A
- petard – a small bomb
- to be foiled by one’s own plan
11
Q
chasuble (cha ze bul) (n.)
A
outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian churches that use full vestments
ex: Their chasubles trimmed in iridescent white.
12
Q
garniture (gar na cher) (n.)
A
a number or collection of any matching, but usually not identical, decorative objects intended to be displayed together // embellishment, trimming
ex: Your clock garniture set is by Tiffany & Company of New York.
13
Q
colloquy (cal leh kwee) (n.)
A
- conversation, dialogue
ex: a colloquy between senators - a high-level serious discussion : conference
ex: a colloquy between the trial judge and defendant
14
Q
berm (berm) (n.)
A
a flat strip of land, raised bank, or terrace bordering a river or canal.
a path or grass strip beside a road.
an artificial ridge or embankment, e.g., as a defense against tanks.
ex: berms of shoveled earth
ex: Our tour van passed high berms that blocked all sight of Lake Michigan.
15
Q
hutment (hut mint) (n.)
A
- a collection of huts : encampment
ex: The arriving guardsmen were forced to live in a hutment.
16
Q
occult (a cult) (v.) (adj.)
A
- hidden from view : concealed
ex: occult underground passages
ex: They occulted their house from prying eyes by planting large trees around it.
17
Q
treader (tread ur) (n.)
A
- a person who presses grapes to make wine, especially by foot
ex: The treader would carefully stomp the grapes in the lagar (Portuguese/Spanish word for stone trough) or vat.
18
Q
flag (flag) (n.)
A
any of various monocotyledonous plants with long ensiform (long, slender, pointed) leaves: such as iris and sweet flag
19
Q
ensiform (en sa form) (adj.)
A
- having sharp edges and tapering to a slender point
ex: ensiform leaves
[ Latin ensis (sword) and forma (shape) ]
20
Q
herringbone (herring bone) (adj./n./v.)
A
an arrangement of rectangles used for floor tilings and road pavement
ex: The condos will have herringbone white-oak floors.
21
Q
libate (lie bate) (v.)
A
- to pour out a libation or make libation to
- to drink alcoholic drink
ex: I sat up with three libating guests who would not leave.
22
Q
angle (ain guhl) (v.)
A
- to fish with a hook
ex: He angled for trout in the serene river.
23
Q
niggle (nig guhl) (v.) (n.)
A
- trifle
ex: I’ve had a knee niggle for the past few days. - to spend too much effort on minor details
- to find fault constantly in a petty way : carp
ex: She haggles, she niggles, she wears out our patience.
24
Q
apocryphal (a pock ra full) (adj.)
A
*of doubtful authenticity : spurious
ex: An apocryphal story about George Washington
25
blinker (blink kur) (v.)
* to put blinders on
ex: The arts community cramps our imaginations and blinkers our vision.
26
slaver (slav vir) (n.)
* saliva dribbling from the mouth
ex: Golden slaver flew from its mouth.
27
tumulus (toom you lus (n.)
tumuli (toom you lee) (pl.)
* an artificial hillock or mound (as over a grave)
especially : an ancient grave : barrow
ex: The researchers found a 197- by 26-foot tumulus, or burial mound.
28
dispensation (dis pen say shin) (n.)
* a general state or ordering of things
ex: a privilege maintained under the new dispensation
* an exemption from a law or from an impediment, vow, or oath
ex: He may be granted a dispensation from the rule.
* the act of dispensing // something dispensed or distributed
ex: The state gave the town a special dispensation.
29
frog-march (frog march) (v.) (n.)
* to seize from behind roughly and forcefully propel forward // march forward with arms pinned behind back
ex: The police frog-marched him out the door.
30
potsherds (pot sherd) (n.)
* a pottery fragment usually unearthed as an archaeological relic
ex: Kinneret College discovered remnants of a Roman-era bathhouse, potsherds and coins from the first to third centuries.
31
fall (fall) (n.)
* long hair overhanging the face of dogs of some breeds
a usually long straight portion of hair that is attached to a person's own hair
ex: She tucked a fall of red-black hair behind her ear.
32
profanation (pro fa nay shin) (n.)
* the act of saying or doing something terribly offensive or blasphemous.
ex: God will surely punish you for your profanation.
33
mendicant (men deh kent) (n.) (adj.)
* beggar sense 1
ex: wandering mendicants
* a member of a religious order (such as the Franciscans) combining monastic life and outside religious activity and originally owning neither personal nor community property : friar
ex: These mendicant friars should not be confused with monks.
34
aiguillette (aye gweh let) (n.)
* an ornament on some military and naval uniforms, consisting of braided loops hanging from the shoulder and on dress uniforms ending in points
ex: Prince William sported golden braids — an aiguillette — on the right side of his uniform.
35
poltroon (paul troon) (n.)
* spiritless coward
ex: craven poltroon
* characterized by complete cowardice
ex: A military commander who was so poltroon that he surrendered without having fired so much as a single shot
36
soliloquy (so lil ah kwee) (n.)
soliloquize (so lil oh kwize) (v.)
* talking to oneself
* a poem, discourse, or utterance of a character in a drama that has the form of a monologue or gives the illusion of being a series of unspoken reflections
ex: His farewell to the worm was not unlike the soliloquy of a movie villain about to dispatch the hero.
* to utter a soliloquy : talk to oneself (v.)
37
archly (arch lee) (adv.)
* extremely
ex: archly conservative
* in an amused way that suggests you know more about something than someone else does
ex: She smiled archly at him.
38
interstice (in turr stiss) (n.)
interstices (in turr steh seez) (pl.)
* a space that intervenes between things
ex: one between closely spaced things
interstices of a wall
* a gap or break in something generally continuous
the interstices of society
ex: Trauma lingers in the interstices of the everyday.
39
philology (pha lah lugh gee) (n.)
* the study of literature and of disciplines relevant to literature or to language as used in literature
ex: The science of philology—how words can alter the meaning and motives of history.
40
medicament (meh dick a ment) (n.)
* a substance used in therapy or in medicine // more formal or technical term than medicine
ex: In the 19th century, a physician's bag of medicaments most likely included powerful opiates.
ex: The pharmacy is lined with jars painted with the names of the herbs and medicaments they contained.
41
push dagger/push knife (n.)
* a short-bladed dagger with a "T"-shaped handle, designed to be grasped and held in a closed-fist hand
ex: The assassin jammed the push dagger into the man's neck.
42
autonomic (awe ta nom ick) (n.)
* acting or occurring involuntarily
ex: autonomic reflexes
* relating to, affecting, or controlled by the autonomic nervous system or its effects or activity
ex: It causes the loss of autonomic activities like breathing and heart function.
43
paisley (payz lee) (n./adj.)
* an ornamental textile design using the boteh (Persian: بته) or buta, a teardrop-shaped motif with a curved upper end
ex: the celestial Western stars, illustrated with beads and swirling paisley patterns.
44
effete (ah fet) (adj.)
* having lost character, vitality, or strength
ex: the effete monarchies … of feudal Europe
* not fertile
* marked by weakness or decadence
ex: The effete upper class.
* soft or delicate from or as if from a pampered existence
ex: A wool scarf … a bit effete on an outdoorsman
45
gourmand (gore mand) (n.)
* one who is excessively fond of eating and drinking
ex: She's a gourmand who travels to Europe every year for the wine.
46
dysthymia (diss thigh me ah) (n.)
* mild depression // a mood disorder characterized by chronic mildly depressed or irritable mood often accompanied by other symptoms (such as eating and sleeping disturbances, fatigue, and poor self-esteem)
ex: Low grade depression or dysthymia can start to feel normal.
47
calumniate (ka lum nee ate) (v.)
calumniator (ka lum nee ate uhr) (n.)
to utter maliciously false statements, charges, or imputations about
2
: to injure the reputation of by calumny
ex: The short-lived Sedition Act of 1798 made it illegal to calumniate the President of the United States.
48
praxis (prack sis) (n.)
praxes (prack seez) (pl.)
action, practice: such as
exercise or practice of an art, science, or skill
customary practice or conduct
practical application of a theory
ex: The Cielcin had muscle reinforced by alien praxis to resist the degradations of space.
49
veracious (ver aye shus) (adj.)
* truthful, honest
* marked by truth : accurate
ex: He has a reputation for being veracious, so people generally take his word for things.
50
Shrill vs Scream
TLDR: Shrill emphasizes pitch; scream emphasizes volume and emotion
* Shrill means to make a high-pitched, piercing sound (e.g., "Her voice shrilled in excitement")
* Scream means to utter a loud, sharp cry, often expressing fear, pain, or excitement
51
peaked (peak d) (adj.)
* being pale and wan or emaciated : sickly
ex: His complexion turned peaked.
52
contusion (con two shin) (n.)
* the medical term for a bruise
ex: His painful kick to my abdomen left colorful contusions.
53
declivity (deh cleh va tee) (n.)
* downward inclination // descending slope
ex: The cabin is precariously perched on a declivity of the mountain's northern face.
54
atavistic (at ah vism) (adj.)
atavism (at ah vis tic) (n.)
* recurrence in an organism of a trait or character typical of an ancestral form and usually due to genetic recombination
ex: His atavistic fear and the reliance on instinct that it invoked-sent him hurrying after the dog
* recurrence of or reversion to a past style, manner, outlook, approach, or activity
ex: Western elites believed that in the twenty-first century, cosmopolitanism and globalism would triumph over atavism and tribal loyalties.
55
maiden (maid en) (n.) (adj.)
an unmarried girl or woman : maid
ex: A story about a beautiful maiden and her mysterious father
* not married
ex: Might be all right for a dried-up maiden aunt.
* first, earliest // virgin
ex: a ship's maiden voyage
56
insinuate (in sin you ate) (v.)
* to impart or suggest in an artful or indirect way : IMPLY
ex: I resent what you're insinuating.
* slide (oneself or a thing) slowly and smoothly into a position.
ex: The bugs insinuate themselves between one's skin and clothes.
57
cadge (caj) (v.)
* to obtain (something) for free often by persuading or imposing on another : sponge
ex: Coleman once cadged an interview out of Jack Dempsey.
ex: Teens are spending huge amounts of money themselves, some of it cadged from their families and the rest from after-school jobs.
58
sap (sap) (n.) (v.)
*[probably short for sapling] : blackjack, bludgeon (n.) (American slang)
ex: The thug pulled a sap from his coat and knocked the guard unconscious.
* to knock out with a sap (v.)
ex: He sapped the intruder before they could make a sound.
59
sough (sau) (v.)
* (of the wind in trees, the sea, etc.) make a moaning, whistling, or rushing sound.
ex: All night long the patient was soughing in her sleep.
ex: The soughing of the wind through the branches.
60
adjudge (a jugg) (v.)
* to decide or rule upon as a judge : adjudicate
ex: The court adjudged the contract to be fraudulent.
* to hold or pronounce to be : deem
ex: Critics adjudged the book a success.
61
ladder-back chairs (n.)
* A chair with a tall back constructed of horizontal slats or spindles between two uprights
ex: Two ladder-back chairs had been knocked over.
62
pat (pat) (n.)
* something (such as butter) shaped into a small flat usually square individual portion
ex: butter pat (a piece of butter formed into a ball or other ornamental shape for table use or an individual square cut from a quarter-pound stick of commercial butter)
ex: The way the butter had been molded into round pats.
63
studious (stew dee us) (adj.)
studiously (stew diss eh lee) (adv.)
* marked by or suggesting purposefulness or diligence
ex: a studious expression on his face
* of, relating to, or concerned with study
ex: studious habits
* favorable to study
ex: a studious environment
* diligent or earnest in intent
ex: made a studious effort
64
surrealism (sur real ism) (n.)
* a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images.
ex: the show’s erratic surrealism, baffling narrative and jumbling themes don’t amount to much.
65
canny (can nee) (adj.)
cannily (cann eh lee) (adv.)
* clever, shrewd
ex: He was a canny lawyer.
ex: The clever actions cannily circumvented the facility’s security system.
* prudent
ex: canny investments
66
beery (beer ee) (adj.)
* affected or caused by beer
ex: Beery voices
* smelling or tasting of beer
ex: A beery tavern
67
turn state's evidence (U.S. idiom)
* to agree to give the court information (such as the names of other criminals) when charged with a crime in order to reduce one's own punishment
ex: The cockroach had turned state’s evidence and was scheduled, in September, to testify in court against members of the Tetragna organization.
68
nuptial (nup sh uhl) (adj.) (n.)
* of or relating to marriage or the marriage ceremony
ex: nuptial vows // nuptial bliss
* marriage, wedding —usually used in plural (n.)
ex: Preparations were commenced for the approaching nuptials.
69
glad-hand (glad hand) (v.)
glad-hander (glad hand) (n.)
* to extend a glad hand to (v.)
ex: The candidates glad-handed everyone they met.
* a warm welcome or greeting often prompted by ulterior reasons
ex: The state of South Carolina values the glad hand.
70
folio (fo lee oh) (n.)
* a leaf especially of a manuscript or book
* a book printed on folio pages
ex: The folio is one of 18 remaining copies left held by private collectors.
71
curate (cure it) (n.)
* a person who is invested with the care or cure (cura) of souls of a parish
* a member of the clergy in charge of a parish
ex: I sought the counsel of the curate
72
proviso (pro vie so) (n.)
* an article or clause that introduces a condition
ex: He accepted the job with one proviso: He would work alone.
