WW12 Lesson 3 (Fifi)

Question 1

amalgam

Answer 1

(n)

1. An alloy of mercury and other metals.
   * Silver _amalgam_, which was commonly used for filling teeth, is being replaced by a composite of other materials.
2. A mixture of different elements.
   * The report is a curious _amalgam_ of practical proposals and questionable claims of past accomplishments.

色々混ざったもの

Question 2

antediluvian

Answer 2

(adj)

Very old or old-fashioned.

• In this age of cell phones, faxes, and e-mail, picking up a pen to write a letter seems almost _antediluvian_.

大昔の

Question 3

apothecary

Answer 3

(n)

One who prepares and sells ointments, drugs, and similar items for medicinal purposes.

• Romeo convinced the impoverished _apothecary_ to sell him the deadly poison illegally.

薬屋

Question 4

ascetic

Answer 4

(adj)

Refraining from self-indulgence.

• Henry David Thoreau lived an _ascetic_ life during his trow years in a cabin at Walden Pond.

(n)

A person who practices self-denial.

• As he searched for the meaning of life, the man who became the Buddha lived for many years as an _ascetic_.

禁欲的な

Question 5

beneficent

Answer 5

(adj)

Doing or producing good.

• Quitting smoking has a _beneficent_ effect on the health even of smokers of long duration.

有益な

Question 6

charlatan

Answer 6

(n)

One who falsely claims knowledge or ability.

• Anyone whose program promises dramatic weight loss without the need to diet or exercise is a _charlatan_.

ペテン師

Question 7

denizen

Answer 7

(n)

An inhabitant, resident, or frequenter of a place.

• In several of his novels, Marcel Pagno vividly delineates the _denizens_ of small rural towns of southern France.

住人

Question 8

doyen

Answer 8

(n)

1. A senior member of a group, especially one who is highly respected.
   * Anthropologist Louis Leakey was the _doyen_ of a small group searching for evidence of human origins.
2. The oldest example of a category.

長老・古株

Question 9

flora

Answer 9

(n)

Plants considered as a group in a particular area or era.

• Prominent among the _flora_ of Florida are dozens of varieties of palm trees.

ある時代・場所の植物群

Question 10

imbibe

Answer 10

(v)

1. To consume by drinking.
   * As the designated driver, I will not _imbibe_ even one alcoholic drink.
2. To absorb or take in mentally.
   * The graphic arts students _imbibed_ the capabilities of the new computer with enthusiasm.

吸収・摂取する

Question 11

nostrum

Answer 11

(n)

A medicine or remedy whose effectiveness has not been proven.

• Here is a _nostrum_ that the makers claim reverses hair loss.

特効薬

Question 12

obviate

Answer 12

(v)

To prevent or make unnecessary; to get rid of.

• Frequent oil changes may _obviate_ the need for expensive engine repairs.

取り除く・不要にする

Question 13

Perennial

Answer 13

(adj)

Lasting indefinitely or recurring.

• Until they received financial counseling, incurring credit-card debt was a _perennial_ problem for that family.

(n)

A plant that lives three or more years.

• Her garden includes some of my favorite _perennials_ - irises, poppies, and peonies.

長時間続いている

Question 14

putative

Answer 14

(adj)

Commonly accepted or supposed; assumed to exist.

• Isabel Marlowe is the _putative_ heir to the Goldstone fortune and will go to court to prove her claim.

推定されている

Question 15

savant

Answer 15

(n)

A person with detailed knowledge in a specialized field.

• Thomas Jefferson was a self-taught _savant_ in several diverse areas of knowledge.