 | Term | Definition |
| |
Abrasion |
1. damage to skin caused by scraping; 2. process of scraping or rubbing [abrade (v)] |
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Adumbrate |
outline; indicate |
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Cognitive |
concerned with thinking or perceiving [cognition (n)] |
| |
Deign |
condescend |
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Fervid |
passionate |
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Gall |
1. bitterness (bad feeling); 2. confidence; 3. abnormal growth on a plant |
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Levee |
1. raised bank of a river; 2. morning reception held by a monarch |
| |
Preternatural |
unnatural; abnormal |
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Quell |
suppress |
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Score (n) |
written form of music |
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Abut |
to adjoin |
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Consternation |
worry and concern |
| |
Gavel |
judge’s hammer |
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Lien |
right to sell property held as a security; legal hold on job etc. |
| |
Parenthesis |
remarks deviating from the main point [parentheses are round brackets in punctuation] |
| |
Sinewy |
vigorous; having well-developed muscles [a sinew is a tendon] |
| |
Steep (v) |
to soak in water |
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Tamp |
to plug; press loose matter down tightly (e.g. pack explosives into a hole) |
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Venturing |
1. hazarding; risking; putting forward; 2. going somewhere [venturesome means courageous or willing to take risks] |
| |
Wry |
1. twisted or bent to one side; 2. dryly humorous |
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Arduous |
hard |
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Decimated |
kill or destroy a large part of (originally one tenth) |
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Fledge |
1. grow feathers; 2. leave nest [fledgling (n) = an inexperienced person or a baby bird] |
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Gouge |
cut or dig out |
| |
Picayune |
insignificant; of little value |
| |
Riveting |
fascinating [to rivet literally means to fix metal plates using metal pins] |
| |
Soliloquy |
solo speech |
| |
Supplicant |
person who requests or begs for something [supplicate (v)] |
| |
Transcendental |
supernatural; going beyond normal experience [transcendent (a)] |
| |
Veritable |
true; genuine [verity (n)] |
| |
Condescension |
talking down to someone [condescending (a)] |
| |
Divest |
remove; take off |
| |
Eddy |
circular current |
| |
Epaulet |
shoulder decoration |
| |
Fallacy |
wrong idea [fallacious (a)] |
| |
Fringe |
1. decorative border with tassels (n); 2. to form an edge (v) |
| |
Leaven |
to make light; modify; cause bread to rise using yeast etc. |
| |
Patronize |
1. to talk down to; condescend; 2. to be a customer of |
| |
Prominent |
1. eminent; 2. protruding; 3. obvious |
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Statute |
law [statutory (a)] |
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Antipathy |
hatred |
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Aver |
affirm |
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Expatiate |
speak or write at great length |
| |
Flag (v) |
1. to lose energy; 2. to signal |
| |
Flail |
1. tool used to thresh grain; 2. to thresh (separate grain from chaff); 3. to wave arms about wildly |
| |
Indicted |
accused (of crime) |
| |
Loll |
laze around; hang out (when used of the tongue) |
| |
Malign |
slander |
| |
Secure (v) |
1. to fix firmly; 2. to obtain |
| |
Talon |
long pointed nail or claw |
| |
Abeyance |
state of inactivity; disuse |
| |
Disarm |
1. take away weapons; 2. win over to one’s side [disarming (a)] |
| |
Elaborate |
1. complex and detailed (a); 2. to expand on (v) |
| |
Foment |
1. stir up; 2. bathe with hot liquids (medical) |
| |
Jockeying |
maneuvering; struggling to get ahead of others [jockey (v)] |
| |
Minutiae |
small details |
| |
Rue |
regret [rueful (a)] |
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Somatic |
concerned with the body |
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Stinting |
holding back; limiting the supply (of supplies/money etc.) [stint (v)] |
| |
Temperate |
moderate |
| |
Allure |
1. attraction (n); 2. to attract (v) |
| |
Caulk |
treat with substance such as tar to make water-tight |
| |
Conscript |
1. person enlisted compulsorily into the armed forces; 2. (v) to enlist compulsorily |
| |
Desultory |
aimless; inconsistent in effort |
| |
Elegy |
poem concerned with death; praise of a dead person |
| |
Fallow |
uncultivated |
| |
Forbearing |
tolerant [forbear (v); forbearance (n)] |
| |
Hegemony |
political domination; complete authority |
| |
Improbity |
lack of honesty or integrity |
| |
Qualm |
hesitation or fear |
| |
Assay |
1. try; 2. assess purity |
| |
Chauvinist |
someone excessively patriotic [chauvinism (n)] |
| |
Discrete |
separate; discontinuous (not to be confused with discreet - prudent; diplomatic] |
| |
Enlist |
1. sign up for the army; 2. obtain |
| |
Fabricated |
made up; false; manufactured [fabricate (v); fabrication(n)] |
| |
Fulminate |
1. attack loudly in words; denounce thunderously; 2. explode noisily |
| |
Hawser |
thick rope or cable |
| |
Jibe |
agree with; complement; match up with (in British usage jibe means mock) |
| |
Peer |
1. an equal; 2. to stare at; 3. nobleman |
| |
Stickler |
one who is strict about rules or details |
| |
Cloture |
closure; terminating a debate by voting |
| |
Congruent |
matching [congruency (n)] |
| |
Dally |
waste time; flirt |
| |
Dissemble |
avoid the truth |
| |
Dote |
be excessively fond of [doting (a)] |
| |
Errant |
1. wandering; 2. wrong; 3. straying from accepted standards |
| |
Fervent |
passionate |
| |
Stomach (v) |
to tolerate |
| |
Synapse |
junction between two nerve cells |
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Undercutting |
offering a lower price; undermining |
| |
Arson |
deliberate, criminal starting of fires |
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Carrion |
dead flesh; carcasses |
| |
Intelligible |
can be understood |
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Ironclad |
cannot be altered; firm |
| |
Lint |
fluff; soft material used to cover wounds |
| |
Pretension |
assumed attitude of superiority; arrogance |
| |
Pundit |
expert |
| |
Pyre |
ceremonial fire |
| |
Sate |
satisfy |
| |
Syncopation |
type of musical rhythm with missed beats |
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