Word List 17

Question 1

gargoyle

Answer 1

a spout in the form of a grotesque human or animal figure projecting from a roof gutter to throw rainwater clear of a building
a grotesquely carved figure
a person with an ugly figure

Question 2

garish

Answer 2

clothed in vivid colors
excessively or disturbingly vivid
offensively or distressingly bright ; glaring
tastelessly showy; flashy

e.g. garish imagery
The wedding guest’s thick makeup was garish and unnecessary.

Question 3

garland

Answer 3

a circular or spiral arrangement of intertwined material (as flowers or leaves)
anthology, collection

e.g. a garland of flowers

Question 4

garner

Answer 4

to gather into storage
to deposit as if in a granary
to acquire by effort; earn
accumulate, collect

e.g. She garnered more evidence to support her theory.

Question 5

garnish

Answer 5

decorate, embellish
to equip with accessories; furnish

e.g. a chef who never served any dish without first garnishing it

Question 6

garrulity

Answer 6

the quality or state of being garrulous

e.g. In her article the professor resorts to garrulity in a vain attempt to disguise the fact that she has very little worth saying.

Question 7

taciturn

Answer 7

temperamentally disinclined to talk

e.g. A taciturn young man, he almost never initiates a conversation.

Question 8

garrulous

Answer 8

given to prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity; pointless or annoyingly talkative
wordy

e.g. He became more garrulous after drinking a couple of beers.

Question 9

laconic

Answer 9

using or involving the use of a minimum of words; concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious

e.g. The sportscaster’s color commentary tends to be laconic but very much to the point.

Question 10

gash

Answer 10

a deep cut in flesh
a deep narrow depression or cut
also

e.g. The iceberg made a gash in the hull of the ship.
Her face had been gashed by the rocks as she tumbled down the embankment.

Question 11

gasification

Answer 11

conversion into gas; especially, conversion of coal into natural gas

Question 12

gaucherie

Answer 12

a tactless or awkward act

Question 13

gaudy

Answer 13

ostentatiously or tastelessly ornamented
marked by extravagance or sometimes tasteless showiness; outlandish
exceptional

e.g. The showgirls wore gaudy costumes.
gaudy lies/claims
They bought the house for a gaudy sum.

Question 14

gauge

Answer 14

measurement; dimensions, size; also, an instrument for a means of measuring or testing
to measure; to determine the capacity or contents of; estimate, judge
to check for conformity to specifications or limits

e.g. Home sales provide a useful way of gauging the overall state of economy.
He accurately gauged the mood of the voters.

Question 15

gazetteer

Answer 15

a book or list that is arranged in alphabetical order and gives information about places

Question 16

genealogy

Answer 16

an account of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or from older forms
regular descent of a person, family, or group of organisms from a progenitor or older form; pedigree
the study of family pedigrees
an account of the origin and historical development of something

e.g. They’ve been researching their genealogies.
has a distinguished genealogy that traces back to William the Conqueror

Question 17

genesis

Answer 17

the origin or coming into being of something

e.g. the genesis of the civil rights movement

Question 18

genial

Answer 18

favorable to growth or comfort; mild

marked by or diffusing sympathy or friendliness

Question 19

mordant

Answer 19

biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style; incisive
burning, pungent

e.g. a writer famous for her mordant humor
a mordant review of the movie that compared it to having one’s teeth pulled for two hours

Question 20

saturnine

Answer 20

born under or influenced astrologically by the planet Saturn
cold and steady in mood; slow to act or change
of a gloomy or surly disposition
having a sardonic aspect

e.g. The men awaiting interrogation by the police shared a saturnine silence.
a saturnine smile

Question 21

genteel

Answer 21

having an aristocratic quality or flavor; stylish
of or relating to the gentry or upper class
elegant or graceful in manner, appearance, or shape

e.g. a person of genteel upbringing
an elderly woman living in genteel poverty

Question 22

gentry

Answer 22

the condition or rank of a gentleman
upper or ruling class; aristocracy 
people of a specified class or kind; folks

e.g. poor tenant farmers working for landed gentry
The old-line yachting gentry frowns upon vulgar displays of wealth.

Question 23

spurious

Answer 23

not genuine, sincere, or authentic
based on false ideas or bad reasoning

e.g. a spurious Picasso painting that wouldn’t have fooled an art expert for a second
claimed that the governor’s election-year enthusiasm for conservation was spurious, since he had cut funding for state parks

Question 24

germane

Answer 24

being at once relevant and appropriate; fitting

e.g. facts germane to the dispute
My personal opinion isn’t germane to our discussion of the facts of the case.

Question 25

germinate

Answer 25

to cause to sprout or develop to come into being; evolve e.g. before Western civilization began to germinate

Question 26

germinal

Answer 26

being in the earliest stage of development | creative, productive

Question 27

gerontocracy

Answer 27

rule by elders; specifically, a form of social organization in which a group of old men or a council of elders dominates or exercises control

Question 28

gerontology

Answer 28

the comprehensive study of aging and the problems of the aged

Question 29

gerrymander

Answer 29

``` to divide (a territorial unit) into election districts to give one political party an electoral majority in a large number of districts while concentrating the voting strength of the opposition in as few districts as possible to divide (an area) into political units to give special advantages to one group ``` e.g. gerrymandering urban districts to give rural voters a majority

Question 30

geyser

Answer 30

a spring that throws forth intermittent jets of heated water and steam e.g. The water shot into the sky in an enormous geyser.

Question 31

gibe

Answer 31

to utter taunting words; to deride or tease e.g. teammates gibing each other when one fouls up an important play

Question 32

giddy

Answer 32

dizzy; causing dizziness; whirling rapidly lightheartedly silly; frivolous joyfully elated; euphoric e.g. He was giddy with delight. The room was filled with giddy laughter.

Question 33

gild

Answer 33

to overlay with or as if with a thin covering of gold | to give money to; to give an attractive but often deceptive appearance to

Question 34

gimmick

Answer 34

a mechanical device for secretly and dishonestly controlling gambling apparatus an ingenious or novel mechanical device; gadget an important feature that is not immediately apparent; catch an ingenious and usually new scheme or angle a trick or device used to attract business or attention e.g. The proposal to cut taxes was just an election gimmick to win votes.

Question 35

ginger

Answer 35

pep e.g. a 60-year-old with the ginger to consider skydiving lessons

Question 36

gingerly

Answer 36

very cautious or careful e.g. gave the cork on the bottle of champagne a gingerly twist

Question 37

girder

Answer 37

a horizontal main structural member (as in a building or bridge) that supports vertical loads and that consists of a single piece or of more than one piece bound together

Question 38

girth

Answer 38

a band or strap that encircles the body of an animal to fasten something (as a saddle on its back) a measure around a body; size, dimensions e.g. The tree is about two meters in girth.

Question 39

glade

Answer 39

an open space surrounded by woods

Question 40

peruse

Answer 40

to examine or consider with attention and in detail; study to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner read; especially, to read over in an attentive or leisurely manner e.g. He perused the newspaper over breakfast. perused the manuscript, checking for grammatical errors

Question 41

glean

Answer 41

to gather grain or other produce left by reapers to gather (as information) bit by bit to pick over in search of relevant material e.g. gleaning old files for information He has a collection of antique tools gleaned from flea markets and garage sales.

Question 42

glib

Answer 42

marked by ease and informality; nonchalant showing little forethought or preparation; offhand lacking depth and substance; superficial marked by ease and fluency in speaking or writing often to the point of being insincere or deceitful e.g. the actor's glib portrayal of a drug addict glib solutions to knotty problems a glib politician

Question 43

lumber

Answer 43

to move ponderously | rumble

Question 44

glitch

Answer 44

a usually minor malfunction a minor problem that causes a temporary setback; snag e.g. Glitches in the speaker's schedule caused some delays.

Question 45

glisten

Answer 45

to give off a sparkling or lustrous reflection of or as if of a moist or polished surface e.g. Rain made the streets glisten. Her eyes glistened with tears.

Question 46

gloat

Answer 46

to observe or think about something with triumphant and often malicious satisfaction, gratification, or delight e.g. gloat over an enemy's misfortune After such a tough campaign, they're gloating over their victory in the election.

Question 47

gloom

Answer 47

``` to look, feel, or act sullen or despondent to be or become overcast to loom up dimly to make dark, murky, or somber partial or total darkness lowness of spirits; dejection ``` e.g. We just sat there, glooming, as we waited. He continued to gloom over the fact that he had been passed over for promotion. He walked away, disappearing into the gloom.

Question 48

gloss

Answer 48

to mask the true nature of; give a deceptive attractiveness appearance to (used with over) to deal with to lightly or not at all (used with over) a brief explanation of a difficult or obscure word or expression a false and often willfully misleading interpretation commentary, interpretation e.g. The misery was general, where not glossed over by liberal application of alcohol. glosses over scholarly controversies rather than confronting them head-on

Question 49

glower

Answer 49

to look or stare with sullen annoyance or anger e.g. baseball fans glowering at their TVs as they watched their favorite team lose

Question 50

glut

Answer 50

to fill especially with food to satiety to flood (the market) with goods so that supply exceeds demand an excessive quantity; oversupply

Question 51

glutinous

Answer 51

having the quality of glue; gummy e.g. a bad horror movie from the 1950s about a glutinous blob that devoured Manhattan

Question 52

gnarled

Answer 52

full of knots gnarls; knotty | crabbed in disposition, aspect, or character

Question 53

gnaw

Answer 53

to bite or chew on with the teeth; especially, to wear away by persistent biting or nibbing to be a source of vexation to; plague erode, corrode e.g. anxiety always gnawing him waves gnawing away at the cliffs

Question 54

goad

Answer 54

``` to incite or rouse as if with a goad to drive (as cattle) with a goad ``` e.g. The threat of legal action should goad them into complying.

Question 55

gobble

Answer 55

to swallow or eat greedily | to take eagerly; grab (usually used with up)

Question 56

goldbrick

Answer 56

to take money or property from by fraud or deceit; swindle to shirk duty or responsibility also e.g. The goldbricks among the colonists were warned: no work, no food.

Question 57

spleen

Answer 57

feelings of anger or ill will often suppressed e.g. The bill's failure to pass in the legislature was due to nothing more than partisan spleen.

Question 58

rancor

Answer 58

bitter deep-seated ill will e.g. In the end, the debate created a degree of rancor among the committee members.

Question 59

gossamer

Answer 59

a film of cobwebs floating in air in calm clear weather something light, delicate, or insubstantial also e.g. The gossamer veil seemed to float about the bride as she walked down the aisle.

Question 60

gouge

Answer 60

a chisel with a concavo-convex cross section an excessive or improper exaction; extortion also e.g. The accident left a big gouge in the side of the car. They feel that they are being gouged by the oil companies.

Question 61

gourmand

Answer 61

one who is excessively fond of eating and drinking one who is heartily interested in good food and drink e.g. the kind of gourmand who swallows food without even pausing to taste it a finicky gourmand who vacationed in Europe every year simply for the wine

Question 62

gradation

Answer 62

a series forming successive stages an advance by regular degrees a gradual passing from one tint or shade to another

Question 63

graft

Answer 63

the acquisition of gain (as money) in dishonest or questionable ways; also, illegal or unfair gain to get (illicit gain) by graft to practice graft

Question 64

grandeur

Answer 64

the quality or state of being grand; magnificence an instance or example of grandeur e.g. the beauty and grandeur of the landscape restoring the hotel to its original grandeur

Question 65

grandiose

Answer 65

characterized by affectation of grandeur or splendor by absurd exaggeration impressive because of uncommon largeness, scope, effect, or grandeur e.g. a grandiose plan to upgrade the entire interstate highway system in 10 years

Question 66

grandstand

Answer 66

a usually roofed stand for spectators at a racecourse or stadium audience done for show or to impress onlookers to play or act so as to impress onlookers e.g. The outfielder made a grandstand play out of what should have been a routine match.

Question 67

grasping

Answer 67

desiring material possessions urgently and excessively and often to the point of ruthlessness e.g. Her grasping children fought over her property when she died.

Question 68

grate

Answer 68

to reduce to small particles by rubbing on something rough | fret, irritate

Question 69

gratification

Answer 69

reward, recompense; especially, gratuity the act of gratifying; the state of being gratified a source of satisfaction or pleasure e.g. Eating good chocolate gives me a sense of intense gratification.

Question 70

gratify

Answer 70

to give pleasure or satisfaction to to give in to; indulge, satisfy e.g. He's only concerned with gratifying his own desires.

Question 71

gratuitous

Answer 71

given unearned or without recompense; costing nothing, free not called for by the circumstances; unwarranted e.g. a gratuitous box of chocolate The film was criticized for its gratuitous violence.

Question 72

ingrate

Answer 72

an ungrateful person

Question 73

gravel

Answer 73

small pieces of rock to cover or spread with gravel perplex, confound; irritate, nettle e.g. managed to gravel his opponent in the debate by focusing on atypical examples

Question 74

grievous

Answer 74

causing or characterized by severe pain, suffering, or sorrow oppressive, onerous serious, grave e.g. a grievous wound/loss the grievous cost of war He took foolish financial risk and suffered a grievous loss.

Question 75

grim

Answer 75

fierce in disposition or action; savage somber, gloomy unflinching, unyielding e.g. Hikers made a grim discovery when they came across a dead body in the woods. grim determination

Question 76

grimace

Answer 76

a facial expression usually of disgust, disapproval, or pain also e.g. The patient made a painful grimace as the doctor examined his wound.

Question 77

gripe

Answer 77

afflict, distress; irritate, vex to complain with grumbling (oft. pl.) spasmodic intestinal pain grievance, complaint e.g. All of the workers were griping about the new regulations. I would rather not listen to gripes about your latest disasters in the dating game.

Question 78

grisly

Answer 78

inspiring horror or intense fear | inspiring disgust or distaste

Question 79

gristle

Answer 79

cartilage | broadly, tough mater in meat that in difficult to eat

Question 80

grit

Answer 80

sand, gravel firmness of mind or spirit to grate or grind to cover or spread with grit e.g. Through resourcefulness and grit, the pioneers survived the winter. The crash victims gritted his teeth as a way of coping with the pain.

Question 81

groove

Answer 81

a long narrow channel or depression a fixed routine; rut; a situation suited to one's abilities or interests; niche e.g. The door slides along a groove in the doorframe. a great talker when he is in the groove

Question 82

grope

Answer 82

to feel about blindly or uncertainly in search to look for something blindly or uncertainly to feel one's way e.g. grope for the light switch grope for the right words to use groped along the dark passage

Question 83

grotto

Answer 83

cave | an artificial recess or structure made to resemble a natural cave

Question 84

grouch

Answer 84

a fit of bad temper; grudge, complaint a habitually irritable or complaining person; grumbler e.g. Having been proven wrong, he had a grouch on for hours afterwards.

Question 85

precarious

Answer 85

depending on the will or pleasure of another dependent on uncertain premises; dubious dependent on chance circumstances, unknown conditions, or uncertain developments marked by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger e.g. precarious generalizations The strong wind almost knocked him off of his precarious perch on the edge of the cliff.

Question 86

grouse

Answer 86

any of various chiefly-ground dwelling birds complain, grumble e.g. She's been grousing to her boss about the working conditions.

Question 87

grove

Answer 87

a small wood without underbrush a planting of fruit or nut trees e.g. a picnic grove

Question 88

grovel

Answer 88

to creep with the face to the ground; crawl to abase oneself; to give oneself over to what is base or unworthy; wallow e.g. He had to grovel to get her to accept his apology. a groveling apology

Question 89

grueling

Answer 89

trying or taxing to the point of exhaustion; punishing e.g. a grueling race

Question 90

guffaw

Answer 90

a loud or boisterous burst of laughter also e.g. managed to keep a straight face for a minute before he let loose with a loud guffaw

Question 91

guile

Answer 91

deceitful cunning; duplicity e.g. a shady salesman who usually relies on a combination of quick thinking and guile

Question 92

guileless

Answer 92

innocent, naive e.g. an easygoing, guileless young woman who was comfortable just being herself

Question 93

guillotine

Answer 93

a machine for beheading by means of a heavy blade that slides in vertical guides a shearing machine or instrument that in action resembles a guillotine

Question 94

guise

Answer 94

a form of style or dress; costume external appearance; semblance pretext e.g. My new neighbor began seeking my company under the guise of friendship, but he turned out to be a member of a religious cult bent on conversion.

Question 95

gullible

Answer 95

easily duped or cheated e.g. They sell overpriced souvenirs to gullible tourists.

Question 96

gulp

Answer 96

to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one swallow to keep back as if by swallowing to take in readily as if by swallowing e.g. gulp down a sob gulp down knowledge gulping for air

Question 97

gum

Answer 97

any of various plant exudes (as an oleoresin or gum resin)

Question 98

gush

Answer 98

to issue copiously or violently to emit a sudden copious flow to make an effusive display of affection or enthusiasm e.g. Blood gushed from the wound. I'm tired of hearing her gush about her boyfriend.

Question 99

gusher

Answer 99

one that gushes; specifically, an oil well with a copious natural flow

Question 100

gustation

Answer 100

the act or sensation of tasting

Question 101

gustatory

Answer 101

relating to or associated with eating or the sense of taste

Question 102

gusto

Answer 102

an individual or special taste enthusiastic and vigorous enjoyment or appreciation vitality marked by an abundance of vigor and enthusiasm e.g. different gustoes without the gusto to go on a hike

Question 103

guy

Answer 103

a rope, chain, rod, or wire attacked to something as a brace or guide (called also guyline)

Question 104

guzzle

Answer 104

to drink especially liquor greedily, continually, and habitually consume, use up e.g. guzzled my soda before I could stop him teenagers sneaking out to guzzle in the woods devices that guzzle electricity

Question 105

gyrate

Answer 105

winding or coiled around; convoluted to revolve around a point or axis to oscillate with or as if with a circular or spiral motion e.g. gyrate branches of a tree They gyrated to the music. The gyroscope got its name for the way the disk inside the instrument gyrates around an axis.

Question 106

habituate

Answer 106

to make used to something; accustom frequent e.g. the sort of lounge lizard known to habituate bars and nightclubs habituate to a stimulus

Question 107

habitude

Answer 107

habitual disposition or mode of behavior or procedure custom e.g. a lifelong habitude for talking too much