GRE General Set 12
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Created by:
settinghead on July 6, 2007
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105 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 oblivion | obscurity; condition of being completely forgotten; forgetfulness |
| assent | agree; accept; N. -ment |
| momentous | very important; Of utmost importance; of outstanding significance or consequence: a ~ occasion; a ~ decision.; N. moment; CF. momentary |
| seminal | related to seed or semen; germinal; creative; providing a basis for further development; influencing future developments; Ex. ~ research in a new field |
| histrionic | Of or relating to actors or acting.; # Excessively dramatic or emotional; affected.; theatrical; excessively dramatic or emotional; affected; of actors or acting; N. -s: ~ behavior; |
| stockade | wooden enclosure or pen; fixed line of posts used as defensive barrier |
| stem | stop or check (the flow of); Ex. ~ the bleeding from the slashed artery; N: main axis of a plant; stalk |
| vagary | capricious happening; caprice; whim; CF. wander; An extravagant or erratic notion or action.; [From Latin vagārī, to wander, from vagus, wandering.] |
| inculcate | teach (ideas or principles); instill; To impress (something) upon the mind of another by frequent instruction or repetition; instill: inculcating sound principles.; 2. To teach (others) by frequent instruction or repetition; indoctrinate: ~ the young with a sense of duty.; [Latin inculcāre, inculcāt-, to force upon : in-, on; see in-2 + calcāre, to trample (from calx, calc-, heel).] |
| countermand | cancel; revoke (an order); To recall by a contrary order: ~ the air strikes.; n. 1. An order or command reversing another one.; 2. Cancellation of an order or command.[Middle English countremaunden, from Old French contremander : contre-, counter- + mander, to command (from Latin mandāre).] |
| insularity | narrow-mindedness; isolation; ADJ. -lar: of an island; isolated; narrow-minded; CF. peninsula |
| vouchsafe | To condescend to grant or bestow (a privilege, for example); deign.; grant condescendingly; guarantee; Ex. ~ your fair return on your investment; [Middle English vouchen sauf, to warrant as safe : vouchen, to warrant; see vouch + sauf, safe; see safe.] |
| rubble | fragments (esp. from a destroyed building) |
| abeyance | suspended action; 1. # The condition of being temporarily set aside; suspension: held the plan in ~.; 2. Law. A condition of undetermined ownership, as of an estate that has not yet been assigned.; [Anglo-Norman, variant of Old French abeance, desire, from abaer, to gape at : a-, at (from Latin ad-; see ad-) + baer, to gape; see bay2.] |
| sate | satisfy to the full; satisfy to excess; cloy |
| rote | repetition; memorization through repetition without understanding; A memorizing process using routine or repetition, often without full attention or comprehension: learn by ~; Ex. learn poetry by ~ |
| immolate | offer or kill as a sacrifice (by fire) [Latin immolāre, immolāt-, to sacrifice, sprinkle with sacrificial meal : in-, on; see in-2 + mola, meal, millstone.] |
| malignant | tending to cause death; highly injurious; aggressively malevolent; Ex. ~ tumor |
| dysentery | inflammatory disorder of the lower intestinal tract |
| fray | brawl; fight; V: wear away or unravel by rubbing; have loose threads developing; cause to become worn out (a person's temper or nerves); CF. rub |
| agglomeration | collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. aggolmeate: jumbled mass; heap; n. 1. The act or process of gathering into a mass.; 2. A confused or jumbled mass: "To avoid the problems of large urban ~s, the state decentralized the university system" (Bickley Townsend). |
| phylum | major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals; category ranking below a kingdom and above a class; division |
| irrevocable | unalterable; irreversible; impossible to revoke |
| contrivance | something contrived; machine or apparatus; clever deceitful plan; scheme |
| apostate | one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs; One who has abandoned one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause.; N. -tasy [from Late Latin apostata, from Greek apostatēs, from aphistanai, to revolt. See apostasy.] |
| ratify | approve formally; confirm; verify |
| loft | room or space under the roof; attic |
| defray | provide for the payment of; undertake the payment of; pay |
| discerning | adj. Exhibiting keen insight and good judgment; perceptive.; mentally quick and observant; having insight; perceptive; able to make good judgments; V. discern: perceive |
| chagrin | annoyance and disappointment; vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride) |
| magisterial | authoritative; imperious; commanding; of a magistrate; Ex. ~ study of Roman law; Ex. ~ manner [from Latin magister, master, teacher.] |
| warp | twist out of shape; N. |
| phenomena | observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation; SG. phenomenon: observable fact; very unusual person, thing, or event; marvel; wonder; CF. phenomenons; ADJ. phenomenal: very unusual; extraordinary; of a phenomenon; Ex. phenomenal strength |
| plaudit | praise; enthusiastic approval; round(succession or series) of applause; ADJ. -tory; CF. applaud |
| touchstone | stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion; standard |
| resound | (of a place) be filled with sound; (of a sound) sound loudly; sound back; echo; Ex. hall ~ed with laughter |
| aperture | opening; hole; adjustable opening in a camera that limits the amount of light; [Middle English, from Latin apertūra, from apertus, past participle of aperīre, to open.] |
| coalition | partnership; league; union of separate political parties |
| defame | harm someone's reputation; malign; speak evil of; slander; N. -ation; ADJ. -atory |
| sustenance | sustaining; means of livelihood, support, food, nourishment; something that maintains life; food |
| waive | give up temporarily; yield; N. -er: -ing a right or claim; document that -s a right or claim |
| glean | gather leavings; gather grain left behind by reapers; gather bit by bit (facts or information) often with difficulty |
| novelty | something new; newness; ADJ. novel: new; original |
| avenge | To inflict a punishment or penalty in return for; revenge: ~ a murder.; take vengence for something or on behalf of someone; Ex.They ~ed his death by burning the village; Ex. He swore to ~ his brother; Ex. They ~ed themselves on their enemy. |
| emanate | issue forth; come out |
| shrivel | make or become shrunken and wrinkled (often by drying) |
| swell | long wave of water that moves continuously without breaking; V. |
| misconduct | immoral behavior; bad management; V. |
| fell | cruel; (of a disease) deadly |
| decry | express strong disapproval of; condemn openly (something dangerous to the public); disparage; Ex. ~ the violence of modern films; To depreciate (currency, for example) by official proclamation or by rumor. |
| nomenclature | terminology(system of specialized words); system of names or naming things |
| bait | harass; tease; torment; Ex. badger ~ing; N: food or other lure used to catch fish or trap animals |
| exposure | risk, particularly of being exposed to disease or to the elements; unmasking; act of laying something open; Ex. ~ of governmental corruption |
| ruminant | animal that ruminates; ADJ. |
| scorch | n. 1. A slight or surface burn.; 2. A discoloration caused by heat.; 3. Brown spotting on plant leaves caused by fungi, heat, or lack of water.; [Middle English scorchen, possibly of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse skorpna, to shrink, be shriveled.] |
| stock | standard; kept regularly in - or supply; typical; routine; common; Ex. - sizes of paper; Ex. stock excuse/character; N: goods for sale in a shop; OP. unique |
| imperceptible | unnoticeable; impossible to perceive; undetectable |
| collusion | conspiring in a fraudulent scheme to cheat or deceive others; A secret agreement between two or more parties for a fraudulent, illegal, or deceitful purpose.; V. -lude [Middle English, from Latin collūsiō, collūsiōn-, from collūsus, past participle of collūdere, to collude. See collude.] [Latin collūdere : com-, com- + lūdere, to play.] |
| depravity | extreme corruption; Moral corruption or degradation.; # A depraved act or condition.; wickedness; V. deprave |
| quorum | minimal number of members necessary to conduct a meeting; The minimal number of officers and members of a committee or organization, usually a majority, who must be present for valid transaction of business.; A select group.; [from Latin quōrum, of whom (from the wording of a commission naming certain persons as members of a body), genitive pl. of quī, who.] |
| allude | refer indirectly; To make an indirect reference: The candidate ~ed to the recent war by saying, "We've all made sacrifices."; N. -sion: indirect reference [Latin allūdere, to play with : ad-, ad- + lūdere, to play (from lūdus, game).] |
| pendulous | hanging; suspended; Hanging loosely; suspended so as to swing or sway.; Wavering; undecided.; [From Latin pendulus, from pendēre, to hang.] |
| pith | core or marrow; spongelike substance in the center of stems; essence; substance |
| psychosomatic | of the influence of the mind on the body (esp. with respect to disease); Of or relating to a disorder having physical symptoms but originating from mental or emotional causes.; Relating to or concerned with the influence of the mind on the body, and the body on the mind, especially with respect to disease: ~ medicine. |
| marred | damaged; disfigured; V. mar: spoil; disfigure |
| reprise | musical repetition; repeating of a piece of music; repeat performance; recurrent action; Ex. ~ in the finale; Ex. constant reprises |
| mammal | vertebrate animal whose female suckles its young |
| allure | entice; attract; tempt |
| fracas | A noisy, disorderly fight or quarrel; a brawl. See synonyms at brawl.; brawl(noisy quarrel or fight) in which a number of people take part; melee [French, from Italian fracasso, from fracassare, to make an uproar.] |
| embitter | make bitter; fill with painful or bitter feelings; make sad and angry; Ex. He was ~ed by many disappointments. |
| saunter | stroll(go for a leisurely walk) slowly; N.; To walk at a leisurely pace; stroll. [Probably from Middle English santren, to muse.] |
| determinate | Precisely limited or defined; definite: a determinate number; a determinate distance.; # Conclusively settled; final.; # Firm in purpose; resolute.; having a fixed order of procedure; precisely defined; invariable; fixed; conclusive; final [Middle English, from Latin dēterminātus, past participle of dētermināre, to determine. See determine.] |
| alimentary | supplying nourishment; Concerned with food, nutrition, or digestion.; Providing nourishment.; |
| adore | love deeply and respect highly |
| condiment | seasonings; spices; A substance, such as a relish, vinegar, or spice, used to flavor or complement food.; [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin condīmentum, from condīre, to season.] |
| forlorn | 1. # Appearing sad or lonely because deserted or abandoned.; 2. Forsaken or deprived: forlorn of all hope.; Wretched or pitiful in appearance or condition: forlorn roadside shacks.; 3. Nearly hopeless; desperate. See synonyms at despondent.; sad and lonely; wretched; desolate [Middle English forloren, past participle of forlesen, to abandon, from Old English forlēosan.] |
| certitude | certainty; The state of being certain; complete assurance; confidence.; Sureness of occurrence or result; inevitability.; Something that is assured or unfailing: "eager to swap the hazards of American freedom for the gray -s of Soviet life" |
| nether | lower; Ex. ~ garments/regions; [Middle English, from Old English neothera, from neother, down.] |
| comity | An atmosphere of social harmony.; courtesy; civility; Ex. ~ of nations [Latin cōmitās, from cōmis, friendly.] |
| bout | match; short period of great activity; # A period of time spent in a particular way; a spell: "His tremendous ~s of drinking had wrecked his health" (Thomas Wolfe).; Ex. wrestling ~; ~ of drinking/flu |
| fell | cut or knock down (a tree or a person); bring down (with a missile); v. 1. a. To cause to fall by striking; cut or knock down: fell a tree; fell an opponent in boxing.; b. To kill: was felled by an assassin's bullet.; 2. To sew or finish (a seam) with the raw edges flattened, turned under, and stitched down.; n. 1. The timber cut down in one season.; 2. # A felled seam.; [Middle English fellen, from Old English fellan, fyllan.]; adj. 1. Of an inhumanly cruel nature; fierce: fell hordes.; 2. Capable of destroying; lethal: a ~ blow. 3. Dire; sinister: by some fell chance.; 4. Scots. Sharp and biting.; idiom. at (or in) one fell swoop; [Middle English fel, from Old French, variant of felon. See felon1.]; |
| barefaced | shameless and noticeable; blatant; bold; unconcealed; having no covering on the face; Ex. ~ lie |
| demented | insane; Suffering from dementia or a loss of cognitive function.; |
| subsume | include (as a member of a group); encompass; To classify, include, or incorporate in a more comprehensive category or under a general principle: "The evolutionarily later always ~s and includes the evolutionarily earlier" (Frederick Turner). [Medieval Latin subsūmere : Latin sub-, sub- + Latin sūmere, to take.] |
| unimpeachable | that cannot be impeached; beyond doubt or question; blameless and exemplary |
| toga | Roman outer robe; A loose one-piece outer garment worn in public by male citizens in ancient Rome.; A robe of office; a professional or ceremonial gown. |
| decree | authoritative order; edict; judgment of a court of law; V: order or judge by decree |
| conversant | familiar with; having knowledge of; 1. Familiar, as by study or experience: ~ with medieval history.; 2. Able to converse knowledgeably: "By ... using a library of your personal design, you will find yourself more knowledgeable and, eventually, more ~, on topics of interest to you" (Tom Kelley).; [Middle English conversaunt, associated with, from Old French conversant, present participle of converser, to associate with, from Latin conversārī. See converse1.] |
| douse | plunge into water or liquid; dip; immerse; drench; wet throughly; extinguish; throw water over; dowse |
| brooch | A relatively large decorative pin or clasp.; ornamental clasp; pin |
| indict | charge; N. -ment |
| gossamer | sheer; very light; like cobwebs; N: soft and sheer fabric; cobweb |
| pyromaniac | person with an insane desire to set things on fire; The irresistible urge to start fires. |
| husband | use sparingly; conserve; save; Ex. ~ one's energy; CF. house holder |
| ovoid | egg-shaped; CF. ovum; CF. ovulate |
| desecrate | profane; violate the sanctity of |
| pervasive | spread throughout; V. -vade: (of smells, ideas, feelings) spread throughout; charge; permeate [From Latin pervāsus, past participle of pervādere, to pervade. See pervade.] [Latin pervādere : per-, through; see per- + vādere, to go.] |
| ineffable | unutterable; not to be uttered; taboo; that cannot be expressed in speech; indescribable; unspeakable; inexpressible; Ex. ~ name/joy |
| crevice | crack; fissure; A narrow crack or opening; a fissure or cleft.; [probably from Vulgar Latin crepācia, from crepa, from Latin crepāre, to crack.] |
| apathy | lack of caring; indifference; lack of concern or interest in important matters; Ex. He was sunk in ~ after his failure; ADJ. -tic |
| secrete | conceal; hide away or cache; produce and release a substance into an organism; To generate and separate (a substance) from cells or bodily fluids: ~ digestive juices.; CF. -tive |
| meteoric | like a meteor; swift; momentarily brilliant; Ex. ~ rise to fame; N. - |
| vertex | The highest point; the apex or summit: the vertex of a mountain.; highest point; PL. vertices |
| raspy | making a harsh noise; grating; harsh |
| authoritative | having the weight of authority; regarded as providing knowledge that can be trusted; reliable; peremptory and dictatorial; Ex. ~ dictionary/manner; CF. definitive |
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