Print › Barrons 4 (Apothegm to Astigmatism)

apothegm: pithy, compact saying
apotheosis: n. (of a human being) making or becoming a god or a sain; model of excellence
appall: shock or dismay
appease: v. make quiet or calm, usu by making concessions or by satisfying demands
appellation: n. name or title; system of naming ;
append: v. attach or add something
apposite: adj. ~ (of a remark, etc) very appropriate (for a purpose or an occasion)
appraise: v. assess the value or quality of
apprehend: v. seize (sb); arrest
apprehensive: adj. ~ ~ (that.../for sb/sth) feeling anxiety; fearful; uneasy
apprise: v. ~ sb of sth inform sb of sth
approbation: n. approval; consent
appurtenances: a secondary or less significant thing or part; gear accessories equipment
apropos: adv, adj appropriate or relevant to what is being said or done
aquiline: adj. of or like an eagle
arable: n. , adj suitable for ploughing and for growing crops
arbiter: n. ~ person who has power to decide what will be done, accepted, etc with regard to sth
arbitrary: adj. based on personal opinion or impulse, not on reason; randomly chosen; subjective/based on personal reason; capricious; unreasonable
arbitrate: v. ~ (between A and B) make a judgement about or settle (a dispute) between two parties (usu when asked by them to do so)
arboreal: adj. of or living in trees
arboretum: n. place where trees are grown for scientific study or for display
arcade: n. covered passage or area, esp one with an arched roof and shops along one or both sides
arcane: requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
arch: comb form chief; most important
archaeology: n. study of ancient civilizations by scientific analysis of physical remains found in the ground
archaic: adj. of a much earlier or an ancient period in history
archetype: n. original or ideal model from which others are copied; prototype ;
archipelago: n. (sea surrounding a) group of many islands
archives: n. historical documents or records of a government, town, etc
ardor: extreme vigor or energy:INTENSITY
arduous: adj. needing much effort or energy; laborious
argot: n. words and phrases used by a particular group and not intended to be understood by others; cant ;
aria: n. song for one voice, esp in an opera or oratorio
arid: adj. having little or no rainfall; dry
aristocracy: n. highest social class; the nobility
armada: n. large fleet of ships
aromatic: adj. having a pleasant, distinctive smell; fragrant
arraign: v. ~ sb (law ) bring a criminal charge against sb; bring sb to court for trial
array: v. place (esp armed forces, troops, etc) in battle order; clothing; arrangement
arrears: n. money that is owed and should have been paid earlier
arrhythmic: lacking rhythm or regularity
arrogance: a feeling or an impression of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or presumptuous claims
arroyo: a brook; a creek a water-carved gully or channel
arsenal: n. place where weapons and ammunition are made or stored
artery: n. any of the tubes carrying blood from the heart to all parts of the body
artful: adj. cunningly clever at getting what one wants; crafty
articulate: adj. able to express one's ideas clearly in words
artifacts: something created by humans usually for a practical purpose; especially :an object remaining from a particular period
artifice: n. clever trickery; deception
artisan: a manually skilled worker
artless: adj. simple and natural; without deceit
ascendancy: n. ~ (position of) having dominant power or control
ascertain: v. discover (sth) so that one is certain; get to know
ascetic: adj. not allowing oneself pleasures and comforts; having or involving a very austere life
ascribe: v. ~ sth to sb/sth consider sth to be caused by, written by or belonging to sb/sth
aseptic: adj. free from bacteria that cause a thing to become septic; surgically clean
ashen: adj. like ashes in colour; very pale
asinine: adj. stupid or stubborn
askance: adv. sideways glance/look
askew: adj. , adv not in a straight or level position; crooked
asperity: n. harshness or severity, esp of manner
aspersion: slanderous remark
aspiration: n. ~ ~ (to do sth) strong desire or ambition
aspire: v. ~ after/to sth desire strongly to achieve sth; have ambition for sth
assail: v. ~ sb (fml ) attack sb violently or repeatedly
assay: n. testing of esp metals for quality; analysis
assent: n. ~ (fml ) agreement; approval
assert: v. make others recognize (sth) by behaving firmly and confidently
assessment: n. action of assessing
assiduous: adj. showing constant and careful attention
assimilate: v. (cause sth to) become absorbed into the body after digestion
assuage: v. make (sth) less severe; soothe
assumption: n. thing accepted as true or as sure to happen, but not proved
assurance: n. confident belief in one's own abilities and powers
asteroid: n. any of many small planets revolving round the sun, esp between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
astigmatism: n. defect in an eye or a lens that prevents correct focusing