Vocabulary Set 8 (24.02.15) Flashcards
(100 cards)
1
Q
plaintively (plain tiv lee) (adv.)
A
expressive of suffering or woe : MELANCHOLY
ex: ‘I’ve been brave,’ I said plaintively, like a child being accused.
2
Q
solarium (so lair ee um) (n.)
A
a glass-enclosed porch or room
also : a room (as in a hospital) used especially for sunbathing or therapeutic exposure to light
ex: We were having lunch in the solarium.
3
Q
wanton (one ten) (adj./n./v.)
A
- MERCILESS, INHUMANE
ex: wanton cruelty - having no just foundation or provocation : MALICIOUS
ex: a wanton attack - being without check or limitation: such as
a
: unduly lavish : EXTRAVAGANT
ex: wanton imagination
b
: luxuriantly rank
ex: wanton vegetation - LEWD, BAWDY
causing sexual excitement : LUSTFUL, SENSUAL - playfully mean or cruel : MISCHIEVOUS
4
Q
poky (po kee) (adj.)
A
small and cramped // SHABBY, DULL // annoyingly slow
ex: I can only stay at home and knit, like a poky old woman!
5
Q
flyaway (fly away) (adj.)
A
loose, flowing especially because of unconfined fullness at the back
ex: a flyaway jacket
of hair : very thin and light : difficult to keep tidy
ex: Her hair was the blond flyaway variety.
6
Q
snood (s noo d) (n.) (v.)
A
*a net or fabric bag pinned or tied on at the back of a woman’s head for holding the hair
* to secure with a snood
ex: Chanel snood and earrings.
7
Q
carnelian (car neal yon) (n.)
A
a brownish-red mineral commonly used as a semiprecious stone. Similar to carnelian is sard, which is generally harder and darker; the difference is not rigidly defined, and the two names are often used interchangeably.
ex: Susie came to school today with a lovely red carnelian ring.
8
Q
beatitude (be adda tude) (n.)
A
- pure bliss
ex: Not from earthly riches but from the milk of human kindness comes true beatitude
9
Q
lapsus linguae (lap sus leen gwi) (n.)
A
(FORMAL) slip of the tongue
ex: The Duke’s latest pronouncement was quite the lapsus linguae.
10
Q
blowzy (bl oww zzz) (adj.)
A
having a sloppy or unkempt appearance or aspect : FROWSY
being coarse and ruddy of complexion
ex: said Mrs. March, drawing the blowzy head to her shoulder
11
Q
tetchy (tet chee) (adj.)
A
irritably or peevishly sensitive : TOUCHY
12
Q
might and main (idiom)
A
with might and main : VIGOROUSLY
ex: Any sage practical politician would strive might and main to avoid
13
Q
comme il faut (come ill foe) (adj.)
A
conforming to accepted standards : PROPER
ex: Among the upper crust, it would not have been comme il faut.
14
Q
warm the cockles of your heart (phrase)
A
to give someone warm and happy feelings.
ex: It is a story with a happy ending to warm the cockles of your heart.
(ventricles, named by some in Latin as “cochleae cordis”, from “cochlea” (snail)
15
Q
weathercock (n.)
A
- a person or thing that changes readily or often
ex: Laurie is too much of a weathercock. - a vane often in the figure of a cock mounted so as to turn freely with the wind and show its direction
16
Q
bildungsroman (bill doongs ro maan) (n.)
A
a novel dealing with one person’s formative years or spiritual education.
ex: The book is a bildungsroman of sorts, as Tull overcomes his abused childhood and learns about love.
17
Q
disapprobation (dis app pro bay shun) (n.)
A
the act or state of disapproving : the state of being disapproved : CONDEMNATION
ex: Her face was an expression of entire disapprobation.
18
Q
propitiate (pro pish ee ate) (v.)
A
to gain or regain the favor or goodwill of : APPEASE
ex: Since 1979, the United States has sought to contain or propitiate the regime in Tehran.
19
Q
dolefully (dole full ee) (adj.)
A
full of grief // expressing grief
ex: a doleful face // a doleful melody
20
Q
in high dudgeon (in high dud gin) (idiom)
A
feeling and usually showing that one is angry or offended
ex: She walked out of the meeting in high dudgeon.
21
Q
coquetry (co ka tree) (n.)
A
a flirtatious act or attitude
ex: The new boss put a stop to the banter and coquetry in the office.
22
Q
august (aw gust) (adj.)
A
marked by majestic dignity or grandeur
ex: her august lineage // an august mansion
23
Q
dandify (dan duh figh) (v.)
A
to cause to resemble a dandy
ex: We watched the boat races among crowds of dandified men.
24
Q
capacious (ka pay shus) (adj.)
A
containing or capable of containing a great deal
ex: The museum’s capacious rooms.
25
outre (oo tre) (adj.)
violating convention or propriety : BIZARRE // unusual and startling
ex: His art is a bit too outré for most people to enjoy.
26
roustabout (rau st a bout) (n.)
* a person with no permanent home or regular occupation
also : one who stirs up trouble
* DECKHAND // LONGSHOREMAN
* an unskilled or semiskilled laborer especially in an oil field or refinery
ex: sought work as a roustabout on the city's seedy waterfront
27
putrescent (pew treh scent) (adj.)
undergoing putrefaction : becoming putrid // undergoing the process of decay; rotting.
ex: the odor of putrescent flesh
28
piece de resistance (peace day re zist tonce) (n.)
* the chief dish of a meal
* an outstanding item or event : SHOWPIECE
ex: The pièce de résistance of the whole concert was when the two bands came onstage to perform together.
29
longshoreman (long shore man) (n.)
a person who loads and unloads ships at a seaport
ex: Franco’s began serving burgers to longshoremen and sailors.
30
dish pit (dish pit) (n.)
The dishwashing area in a restaurant.
ex: The dishwasher didn't show up, so I spent my whole shift in the dish pit.
31
agrestal (ah gres tul) (adj.)
dwelling or growing wild in the fields : WILD
ex: The seaweed formed a thick mane of agrestal fur.
32
ichor (eye core) (n.)
* a thin watery or blood-tinged discharge
* an ethereal fluid taking the place of blood in the veins of the ancient Greek gods
ex: With sweat and ichor spewing everywhere, referee Harvey Dock stopped the fight.
33
coiffure (kwa fyur) (n.)
hairdo // a style or manner of arranging the hair
ex: I love his eerily perfect coiffure
34
filial (phil ee uhl) (adj.)
*of, relating to, or befitting a son or daughter
ex: filial obedience // filial love
* having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring
ex: The new village has a filial relationship with the original settlement.
35
osteal (ah steal) (adj.)
of, relating to, or resembling bone
also : affecting or involving bone or the skeleton
ex: The skeletal remains were piled up like osteal ant hills.
36
espouse (eh spouse) (v.)
to take up and support as a cause : become attached to
ex: The new theory has been espoused by many leading physicists.
37
standish (stan dish) (n.)
a stand for holding pens, ink, and other writing equipment.
ex: Primary simple inkwells were referred to as standishes.
38
QED (LATIN Phrase)
[Latin quod erat demonstrandum] which was to be demonstrated
ex: I told you it would rain today! See, the weather app said there was a 90% chance of showers. QED.
39
pinafores (pin a four) (n.)
a sleeveless garment worn as an apron. Pinafores may be worn as a decorative garment or as a protective apron. A related term is pinafore dress, i.e. a sleeveless dress intended to be worn over a top or blouse
40
nom deh plume (nom da ploom) (n.)
noms deh plume (noms da ploom) (PLURAL)
French for pen name
ex: He wrote under a nom de plume.
41
loquacity (low kwa ceh tee) (n.)
the quality or state of being very talkative
ex: His loquacity is less bounded, his stories meander without necessarily reaching their conclusion.
42
rusty (ruh stee) (adj)
dulled in color or appearance by age and use
ex: rusty old boots
43
meerschaum pipe (meer shhum pipe) (n.)
a tobacco pipe of meerschaum (German for sea foam to refer to Sepiolite -- a soft white clay-like mineral -- oft found floating on the sea)
44
tête-à-tête (teta tet) (n.)
a private conversation between two persons
ex: But truly do not feel any pressure to have that tete-a-tete anytime soon.
45
debonair (deb oh nair) (adj.)
SUAVE, URBANE
LIGHTHEARTED, NONCHALANT
ex: a debonair performer
46
disport (dis port) (v.)
DIVERT, AMUSE // DISPLAY
to amuse oneself in light or lively fashion : FROLIC
ex: They disported themselves with silly games.
47
abnegation (ab neh gay shun) (n.)
* self-denial
* surrender, relinquish
ex: Monks practice abnegation of the material aspects of life.
48
equipage (eh kwip eg) (n.)
material or articles used in equipment : OUTFIT //
a horse-drawn carriage with its servants
ex: And the reality is that the airlines don’t have the equipage.
49
fastidious (fa sid ee us) (adj.)
* characterized by a meticulous, sensitive, or demanding attitude
ex: True to her fastidious nature, Peretti selected all of the stones.
* of a person's work, approach, etc. : extremely or excessively careful or detailed
ex: He took fastidious care of his cars.
50
blarney (blarr nee) (n.)
skillful flattery : BLANDISHMENT (something that coaxs or cajoles)
NONSENSE, HUMBUG (something designed to mislead)
ex: She was charmed by his blarney.
51
philoprogenitiveness (phil oh pro gen eh tive ness) (n.)
tending to produce offspring : PROLIFIC
of, relating to, or characterized by love of offspring
ex: This counterfeit philoprogenitiveness sits uneasily upon them.
52
preceptor (pre cep tore) (n.)
* TEACHER, TUTOR
* the headmaster or principal of a school
* a teacher responsible for upholding a precept, meaning a certain law or tradition.
ex: A preceptor at a small English boarding school
53
weal (wheel) (n.)
a sound, healthy, or prosperous state : WELL-BEING
ex: Four women, taught by weal and woe
To love and labor in their prime.
54
inhume (in hue m) (v.)
BURY, INTER
ex: There were so many dead it was impossible to inhume them all.
55
tribology (tri bol o gee) (n.)
Tribology is the science and engineering of understanding friction, lubrication and wear phenomena for interacting surfaces in relative motion.
56
sash window (n.)
A sash window consists of two framed window sashes – one positioned in front of the other.
57
importune (im pour tune) (v.)
* to press or urge with troublesome persistence // Annoy // Bother
* to beg, urge, or solicit persistently or troublesomely
ex: He stood on the street corner, importuning passersby for help.
58
cleat (clee t) (n.)
a T-shaped piece of metal or wood, especially on a boat or ship, to which ropes are attached.
ex: Hurry and secure the mooring line to the cleat before the current pulls us away from the dock!
59
accretion (a cree shun) (n.)
accrete (a cree t) (v.)
a product of accretion // process of growth by a gradual buildup
especially : an extraneous addition
ex: accretions of grime
ex: Silt accreting at the mouth of the river over time.
60
violaceous (vye oh lay shus) (adj.)
of a violet color
ex: The fruiting body is pink or violaceous.
61
vim (vim) (n.)
robust energy and enthusiasm
ex: All too often their inferior opponents have awakened bright-eyed-bushy-tailed, and so full of vim and vinegar, breakfast can be skipped.
62
florid (floor id) (adj.)
* very flowery in style : ORNATE
ex: florid prose
* tinged with red : RUDDY
ex: a florid complexion
* fully developed : manifesting a complete and typical clinical syndrome
ex: the florid stage of a disease
* marked by emotional or sexual fervor
ex: a florid secret life
63
crump (crum p) (v.) (n.)
* CRUNCH // to explode heavily (v.)
ex: one aerial bomb failed to crump as it landed
* a crunching sound // SHELL, BOMB (n.)
ex: the distant crump of an explosion
64
aver (a vir) (v.)
* to declare positively
ex: Mr. Murray avers that many large organizations in the private sector are run by curmudgeons like him.
65
mundanity (muhn dan eh tee) (n.)
characterized by the practical, transitory, and ordinary : COMMONPLACE
ex: Her great gift is for presenting the mundanity of ordinary life with wry detachment.
66
anomie (anne oh me) (n.)
social instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values
ex: The reforms of a ruined economy brought about social anomie.
67
anechoic (ana co ick) (adj.)
free from echoes and reverberations
ex: an anechoic chamber
68
feculent (fec u lent) (adj.)
foul with impurities : FECAL // filthy, scummy, muddy, or foul
ex: a feculent odor of the breath
69
jink (g nk) (n.) (v.)
*to move quickly or unexpectedly with sudden turns and shifts (as in dodging) (v.)
ex: He leapt and jinked around the debris of centuries.
* an evasive action (n.)
NOTE: JINKS -- pranks
70
carbuncle (car bunk uhl) (n.)
a carbuncle is a cluster of boils that form a connected area of infection under the skin
ex: It loomed like a carbuncle over the lesser, older buildings.
71
fretwork (fret work) (n.)
ornamental design in wood, typically openwork, done with a fretsaw
ex: The walnut fretwork screens in the entry are fitted with glass panels treated with gold and copper leaf.
72
shrive (sh rive) (v.)
* (of a priest) to listen to someone's confession about what they have done wrong, and offer forgiveness:
* to free from guilt
ex: On Shrove Tuesday, everyone was summoned to church to be shriven before the start of Lent the following day, Ash Wednesday.
73
man jack (n.)
* an individual man (INFORMAL)
ex: every man jack
74
interleave (in turr lee v) (v.)
* to arrange in or as if in alternate layers
* place something between the layers of (something).
ex: Pasta interleaved with strips of zucchini and carrot"
75
nip (nip) (v.) (n.)
* a sharp stinging cold
ex: a nip in the air
* a biting or pungent flavor : TANG
* the act of nipping : PINCH, BITE
* a small quantity of liquor : SIP
also : a very small bottle of liquor
ex: They shared a nip of spirits.
* to move swiftly or briskly
ex: He nipped in and punched me.
* to defeat by a small margin
ex: They nipped our team by a buzzer-beater.
76
anecdotage (anik doe te gg)
* garrulous old age
ex: Biden was warned by his aides not to wallow in his anecdotage.
anecdotes collectively.
ex: A number of reports cannot be dismissed as anecdotage.
77
discommode (dis ka mode) (v.) (FORMAL)
* cause (someone) trouble or inconvenience.
ex: I am sorry to have discommoded you.
78
brachiate (bray kee ate) (v.)
brachiation (bray kee aye shun) (n.)
brachiator (bray kee ay tor) (n.)
* to progress by swinging from hold to hold by the arms
ex: a brachiating gibbon
79
roister (roy ster) (v.)
* enjoy oneself or celebrate in a noisy or boisterous way.
ex: Workers from the refinery roistered in the bars.
80
mattock (mad dick) (n.)
a digging and grubbing tool with features of an adze and an ax or pick
adze (adds) -- a cutting tool that has a thin arched blade set at right angles to the handle and is used chiefly for shaping wood
81
importune (im purr tune) (v.)
*harass (someone) persistently for or to do something.
ex: Reporters importuned him with pointed questions.
* Approach (someone) to request or offer sexual services, especially as a prostitute.
ex: The girl is charged with loitering in a public place with intent to solicit or importune another person.
82
Patrimony (pat rah mo nee) (n.)
* an estate inherited from one's father or ancestor
ex: The patrimony was divided every time.
* an estate or endowment belonging by ancient right to a church
ex: canon law … aims at conserving the patrimony of the diocese (jurisdiction of a bishop)
83
folkways (folk ways) (n.)
mode of thinking, feeling, acting common to a given group of people
especially : a traditional social custom
ex: The Chinese would assimilate to American laws and folkways.
84
anthropoid (an throw poy d) (n.)
* any of a suborder of higher primates (such as macaques and marmosets)
especially : APE
* a person resembling an ape
ex: The question of where this first anthropoid was born has remained open.
85
aphorism (af or ism) (n.)
* a pithy phrase that contains an accepted truth
ex: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
86
kith (kith) (n.)
familiar friends, neighbors, or relatives
ex: kith and kin
87
enteric (in tare ick) (adj.)
relating to or occurring in the intestines.
ex: The complexity of the enteric nervous system...
ex: I had enteric fever.
88
gravid (gra vid) (adj.)
* PREGNANT
ex: gravid mares
* distended with or full of eggs
ex: a gravid fish
89
tarn (tarn) (n.)
* a small steep-banked mountain lake or pool
ex: Pass Grant Lake, a deep blue tarn nestled in the sagebrush.
90
hoick (hoy k) (v.)
to move or pull abruptly : YANK
ex: He was hoicked out of my job.
ex: He hoicked some mud out of an ear.
91
investiture (in vest teh ture) (n.)
* the action of formally investing a person with honors or rank.
ex: the investiture of bishops
* a ceremony at which honors or rank are formally conferred on a particular person.
92
ex officio (ex a fish ee oo) (adj./adv.)
An ex officio member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office
ex: The Vice President serves ex officio as president of the Senate.
93
ersatz (air saht zz) (adj.)
being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation
ex: ersatz turf
ex: ersatz intellectuals
ex: like everything else the restaurant served, the whipped cream on the dessert was ersatz
94
piquant (pee kent) (adj.)
* having a pleasantly sharp taste or appetizing flavor.
ex: a piquant tartare sauce
* pleasantly stimulating or exciting to the mind.
95
vouchsafe (vouch safe) (v.)
* give or grant (something) to (someone) in a gracious or condescending manner.
ex: It is a blessing vouchsafed him by heaven
* reveal or disclose (information).
ex: You'd never vouchsafed that interesting tidbit before.
96
concomitant (con com ah tant) (adj.)
* naturally accompanying or associated.
ex: She loved travel, with all its concomitant worries.
ex: Some of us look on pain and illness as concomitants of the stresses of living.
97
churl (ch url) (n.)
* a medieval peasant
* RUSTIC, COUNTRYMAN
* a rude ill-bred person
* a stingy morose person
ex: Scrooge is a churl, not in station but in manner.
98
invective (in vec tive) (n.)
* insulting or abusive language : VITUPERATION
* an abusive expression or speech
ex: He hurled invective at the driver who cut them off in traffic.
99
arch (are ch) (adj.)
* PRINCIPAL, CHIEF
ex: an arch enemy
* MISCHIEVOUS, SAUCY //marked by a deliberate and often forced playfulness, irony, or impudence
ex: He was known for her arch comments.
100
divine (dah vine) (v.)
* to discover by intuition or insight : INFER
ex: I divined the truth.
