 | Term | Definition |
| |
bastion |
stronghold; something seen as a source of protection; Ex. the last bastion of male chauvinism |
| |
growl |
low, guttural, menacing sound (as of a dog) |
| |
maverick |
rebel; nonconformist (in a group) |
| |
lethargic |
drowsy; dull; N. lethargy: state of sluggishness and inactivity |
| |
paraphernalia |
equipment; odds and ends used in a particular activity; personal belongings; Ex. photographic paraphernalia; CF. married woman's property exclusive of her dowry |
| |
mores |
conventions; moral standards; moral customs |
| |
timidity |
lack of self-confidence or courage |
| |
understate |
state with less truth than seems warranted by the facts; Ex. He understated the seriousness of the crime; N. understatement; OP. overstate |
| |
protocol |
diplomatic etiquette; ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats; first copy of a treaty before its ratification; Ex. Protocol demands that the queen meet him at the airport. |
| |
braid |
plait; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; N: braided segment (as of hair) |
| |
acquiesce |
assent; agree passively; comply without protest |
| |
favoritism |
display of partiality toward a favored person |
| |
wake |
trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before; Ex. hunger followed in the wake of the war |
| |
draught |
current of air (through a room or to a fire); act of pulling roads; act of swallowing liquid or amount of liquid swallowed at a time |
| |
betoken |
signify; indicate; be a sign of |
| |
aviary |
enclosure for birds; large cage |
| |
waggish |
humorous; mischievous; tricky |
| |
adapt |
make or become suitable for a specific use; alter; modify; adjust; N. adaptation: act of adapting; composition recast into a new form; Ex. The play is an adaption of a short novel. |
| |
bugaboo |
bugbear; object of baseless terror |
| |
foliage |
masses of leaves; CF. defoliate |
| |
satellite |
small body revolving around a larger one |
| |
bungle |
mismanage; blunder; botch; blow; spoil by clumsy behavior |
| |
reinstate |
restore to a previous condition or position |
| |
mnemonic |
pertaining to memory; assisting the memory; N: device, such as as formula or rhyme, used as a mnemonic aid |
| |
conscript |
draftee; person forced into military service; V. |
| |
contend |
struggle; compete; assert earnestly; state strongly |
| |
functional |
made for practical use only (without decoration); functioning; Ex. functional modern furniture; CF. functionalism |
| |
punctilious |
minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points; stressing niceties of conduct or form; N. punctilio, punctiliousness: careful attention payed to every small exact detail |
| |
imbecility |
weakness of mind; state of being an imbecile; N. imbecile: stupid person; fool |
| |
rebuke |
scold harshly; criticize severely |
| |
facile |
easily accomplished; ready or fluent; superficial; not deep; Ex. facile solution to a complex problem; Ex. facile speaker; N. facility: ability to do something easily and well; ease in doing resulting from skill or aptitude; something that facilitates an action; amenity; Ex. with great facility |
| |
hardy |
(of people or animals) sturdy; robust; (of plants) able to stand inclement(stormy) weather |
| |
penury |
extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy |
| |
venal |
capable of being bribed; corrupt; CF. vernal |
| |
flit |
fly; fly or move lightly or quickly; dart lightly; pass swiftly by; Ex. a bee flitting from flower to flower |
| |
magnate |
person of prominence or influence; powerful or influential person (in business or industry); Ex. oil magnate |
| |
botch |
mismanage; blow |
| |
citadel |
fortress |
| |
libidinous |
lustful |
| |
mendicant |
beggar; ADJ: living as a beggar |
| |
oaf |
stupid awkward person; CF. elf |
| |
voyeur |
Peeping Tom; person who derives sexual gratification from observing the sexual acts of others |
| |
docile |
obedient; easily managed; submissive |
| |
vitiate |
spoil the effect of; make inoperative; corrupt morally |
| |
narrative |
related to telling a story; N: narrated account; story; V. narrate: tell (a story); CF. narration |
| |
derision |
ridicule; ADJ. derisive; CF. derisory |
| |
cupidity |
greed (for wealth); CF. cupid; CF. Cupid |
| |
savory |
pleasant in taste; tasty; pleasing, attractive, or agreeable; Ex. savory reputation |
| |
rank |
offensive in odor or flavor |
| |
quisling |
traitor who aids invaders; CF. Vidkun Quisling |
| |
tact |
skill or sensitivity in dealing with people without causing offence |
| |
fallacious |
false; based on a fallacy; misleading; N. fallacy: false idea or notion; false reasoning; Ex. popular fallacy; Ex. fallacy of the argument |
| |
trim |
make neat or tidy by clipping; reduce by removing what is unnecessary; ornament; decorate (round the edges); Ex. trim the cost; Ex. jacket trimmed with fur; N. ADJ: tidy; in good order |
| |
compartment |
one of the parts into which an enclosed space is divided |
| |
squander |
waste; spend foolishly |
| |
colloquy |
informal discussion; conversation |
| |
refurbish |
renovate; make clean, bright, or fresh (make new) again; make bright by polishing; Ex. refurbish an old theater; CF. furbish: polish |
| |
desolate |
make desolate; forsake; abandon and desert |
| |
fumble |
move the fingers and hands awkwardly (in search of something); mishandle or drop a ball that is in play; bungle; botch; spoil by mishandling; N. |
| |
misapprehension |
error; misunderstanding; V. misapprehend |
| |
ameliorate |
improve |
| |
isthmus |
narrow neck of land connecting two larger bodies of land |
| |
skulduggery(skullduggery) |
dishonest behavior or action; Ex. skulduggery in the election |
| |
celibate |
abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried; N. celibacy |
| |
odium |
detestation; quality of being odious; hatefulness; disrepute (resulting from hateful conduct) |
| |
deserts |
what someone deserves |
| |
nugatory |
worthless; futile |
| |
rendition |
rendering; translation; artistic interpretation of a song, etc |
| |
incursion |
temporary invasion; CF. excursion: short journey |
| |
terrestrial |
on or relating to the earth |
| |
stigma |
token of disgrace; brand; V. stigmatize: mark with a stigma; characterize as disgraceful |
| |
gross |
total; fragrant; clearly wrong; (of people's behavior) coarse; corpulent; Ex. gross insolence/behavior; V: earn as a total amount; N: 12 dozens |
| |
doctrine |
teachings in general; particular principle (religious, legal, etc.) taught; dogma; tenet; ADJ. doctrinal |
| |
misnomer |
wrong or improper name; incorrect designation |
| |
proliferate |
grow rapidly (in numbers); spread; multiply; N. proliferation |
| |
hindsight |
understanding the nature of an event after it has actually happened |
| |
lucid |
easily understood; clear; intelligible; N. lucidity |
| |
impenetrable |
not able to be pierced or entered; beyond understanding; impossible to understand; Ex. impenetrable mystery |
| |
ghastly |
horrible; terrifying; resembling ghosts; CF. aghast |
| |
tremulous |
trembling; wavering |
| |
garish |
overbright in color; unpleasantly bright; gaudy |
| |
euphony |
sweet sound; ADJ. euphonious |
| |
pithy |
concise and meaningful; substantial; meaty |
| |
girth |
distance around something; circumference |
| |
lap |
take in food or drink with one's tongue; splash gently; Ex. waves lapping the shore; N: front area from the waist to the knees of a seated person |
| |
asteroid |
small planet |
| |
adulation |
flattery; admiration that is more than is necessary or deserved |
| |
array |
marshal; draw up in order; arrange in order; clothe splendidly; adorn; N: fine clothes; ordered group; Ex. in battle array |
| |
redoubtable |
formidable; causing fear |
| |
approbation |
approval |
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attrition |
rubbing away by friction; gradual decrease in numbers or strength; reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment; Ex. a war of attrition |
| |
secession |
withdrawal; V. secede: withdraw formally from membership |
| |
poignancy |
quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion; ADJ. poignant: touching; deeply moving; (of sorrow, grief, etc.) painful; keenly distressing to the mind; Ex. poignant memory/anxiety; CF. prick |
| |
fodder |
coarse food for cattle, horses, etc.; feed for livestock; CF. food |
| |
regale |
entertain |
| |
warren |
tunnels in which rabbits live; overcrowded living area; crowded conditions in which people live |
| |
distant |
reserved or aloof; cold in manner; Ex. distant greeting; ADV. distantly |
| |
entrance |
put under a spell(condition caused by magical power); carry away(fill with strong feeling) with emotion; put into a trance; fill with delight |
| |
heterogeneous |
dissimilar; mixed; not homogeneous; consisting of dissimilar elements or plants |
| |
temperate |
moderate; restrained; self-controlled; moderate in respect to temperature; CF. temperance: moderation and self-restraint; abstinence of alcoholic drinks; Ex. temperance society |
| |
glamor |
compelling charm; ADJ. glamorous |
| |
disinterested |
unprejudiced; free from bias and self-interest; objective |
| |
mosaic |
picture made of small colorful inlaid tiles; ADJ. |
| |
arboreal |
of or living in trees |
| |
uninhibited |
unrepressed; free in behavior and feelings |
| |
amnesty |
pardon (allowed by government to political criminals) |
| |
stint |
supply; allotted amount of work; assigned portion of work; limitation; Ex. two-year stint in the army; Ex. without stint |
| |
spin |
rotate swiftly; make (thread) by twisting (cotton, wool, etc.); N. |
| |
grumble |
complain; mutter discontentedly; grouch; N. |
| |
recondite |
abstruse; not easily understood; profound; secret |
| |
consonance |
harmony; agreement |
| |
enduring |
lasting; surviving; V. endure: bear (pain or suffering) for a long time; remain alive (in spite of difficulties); last; survive |
| |
concave |
hollow; curved inwards; OP. convex |
| |
forward |
presumptuous or bold |
| |
astigmatism |
eye defect which prevents proper focus; OP. stigmatism |
| |
singular |
being only one; individual; unique; extraordinary; odd; Ex. singular beauty/behavior |
| |
augury |
omen; prophecy; sign of coming events; V. augur: predict; foretell; be a sign of (something in future) |
| |
tribulation |
suffering; ordeal; distress; trial |
| |
cater |
provide food and drink (for); cater to: try to satisfy (desires of a bad kind) |
| |
sartorial |
pertaining to tailors or tailoring; Ex. a man of great sartorial elegance; CF. sartor: tailor |
| |
slur |
slander; insult to one's character or reputation; V. |
| |
quarry |
person or animal of pursuit; victim; object of a hunt; prey |
| |
queue |
line (of waiting people or vehicles) |
| |
funereal |
sad; solemn; suitable for a funeral |
| |
genre |
particular variety of art or literature |
| |
amphibian |
able to live both on land and in water; N. |
| |
ineluctable |
irresistible; not to be escaped; unavoidable |
| |
appall |
dismay; shock deeply |
| |
analgesia |
condition of being unable to feel pain |
| |
resign |
give up (a position, right, or claim); submit (oneself) passively |
| |
pang |
sudden sharp feeling of pain |
| |
incontinent |
lacking self-restraint; not continent; licentious |
| |
stickler |
perfectionist; person who insists things be exactly right |
| |
inclined |
tending or leaning toward; bent; V. incline: slant; dispose; be disposed; tend |
| |
episodic |
(of a story or play) loosely connected; made up of separate and loosely connected parts; N. episode: incident in the course of an experience |
| |
seasonable |
occurring at the proper time or season; opportune; Ex. seasonable intervention in the dispute |
| |
astringent |
binding; causing contraction (stopping bleeding); harsh or severe; stringent; Ex. astringent criticism |
| |
quotidian |
daily; commonplace; customary; Ex. quotidian routine |
| |
stanza |
division of a poem (composed of two or more lines) |
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sentinel |
sentry; lookout |
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saga |
Scandinavian myth; any legend; long heroic narrative |
| |
aristocracy |
hereditary nobility; privileged class; government by nobility; N. aristocrat |
| |
innuendo |
indirect or subtle (derogatory) hint; insinuation; Ex. sexual innuendo |
| |
rag |
scrap of cloth; ADJ. ragged: old and torn; seeming unfinished and imperfect; Ex. ragged debut/performance |
| |
conducive |
helpful; contributive; V. conduce; Ex. conduce to/towards |
| |
slight |
insult to one's dignity; snub; V: treat as if of small importance; insult; snub; ADJ. small in size; of small importance |
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tout |
promote or publicize (one's goods or service); praise excessively (as a form of advertisement); CF. advertise |
| |
repugnance |
disgust; strong dislike; loathing; ADJ. repugnant: arousing disgust; repulsive |
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cue |
word or signal (as in a play to prompt another actor's speech or entrance); reminder or hint; V: give a cue to |
| |
soliloquy |
talking to oneself (esp. in a play); CF. monologue: soliloquy; long speech by one person (often monopolizing a conversation) |
| |
fruition |
bearing of fruit; fulfillment; realization; Ex. come to/be brought to fruition |
| |
termination |
end; V. terminate |
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intermittent |
periodic; on and off; stopping and starting at intervals |
| |
jocose |
given to(having a tendency of) joking |
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blasphemy |
irreverence; sacrilege; cursing; bad language about God or holy things; V. blasphem; ADJ. blasphemous; CF. sacrilege |
| |
consummate |
complete; V. |
| |
consequential |
self-important; significant; consequent; following as a result; Ex. consequential air; CF. subsequent |
| |
gainsay |
deny |
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abolish |
cancel; put an end to |
| |
convivial |
pleasantly merry; festive; joyous; gay; characterized by joviality; jovial |
| |
gawk |
stare foolishly; look in open-mouthed awe |
| |
betray |
be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwillingly); Ex. Her trembling hands betray her anxiety. |
| |
cession |
yielding to another; ceding |
| |
cogent |
convincing |
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flaunt |
display ostentatiously; Ex. ``Honey, if you've got it, flaunt it !'' |
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chaperon |
older person who accompanies and supervises a young unmarried woman |
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conspire |
take part in a conspiracy; (of events) work together; combine; Ex. Events conspired to produce great difficulties. |
| |
clemency |
disposition to be lenient in deciding punishments; mildness as of the weather; ADJ. clement |
| |
nostrum |
questionable medicine; quack medicine; CF. our (remedy) |
| |
scrutinize |
examine closely and critically; N. scrutiny |
| |
archetype |
prototype; primitive pattern |
| |
trite |
hackneyed; commonplace |
| |
codify |
arrange (laws or rules) as a code; classify; N. code: system of words used instead of ordinary writing; collection of laws, rules, established social customs |
| |
conflagration |
great fire |
| |
subliminal |
below the threshold of conscious perception; Ex. subliminal advertisement |
| |
duplicity |
double-dealing; hypocrisy; being dishonest and deceitful; ADJ. duplicitous |
| |
epithet |
word or phrase characteristically used to describe a person or thing; descriptive phrase to characterize a person (often contemptous) |
| |
peon |
landless agricultural worker; bond servant; menial worker; N. peonage |
| |
thematic |
of a theme; relating to a unifying motif or idea |
| |
plight |
difficult condition; condition or state (esp. a bad state or condition); predicament |
| |
cohorts |
group of people who share some common quality; armed band; a group of between 300 and 600 soldiers under one commander (in the ancient Rome) |
| |
labile |
likely to change; unstable; Ex. emotionally labile; N. lability |
| |
panegyric |
formal praise; encomium; Ex. I don't deserve such panegyrics. |
| |
apothecary |
druggist; pharmacist |
| |
requisition |
formal demand or request; Ex. requisition for more computing equipment; V. |
| |
ample |
enough; abundant; spacious; large in size; Ex. ample opportunity/garden; N. amplitude: quality of being ample; abundance; largeness of space |
| |
unassuaged |
unsatisfied; not soothed |
| |
exigency |
urgent situation; ADJ. exigent |
| |
voodoo |
religion practiced chiefly in Haiti |
| |
furrow |
long shallow trench made by a plow; deep wrinkle in the skin; V. |
| |
gerontocracy |
government ruled by old people |
| |
rarefied |
made less dense (of a gas); V. rarefy: make less dense; N. rarefaction |
| |
madrigal |
pastoral song; song for several singers without instruments |
| |
multilingual |
having many languages; fluent in several languages |
| |
adept |
expert at; very skilled |
| |
suffocate |
die or kill from lack of air; suppress |
| |
deadlock |
standstill resulting from the opposition of two unrelenting forces; stalemate |
| |
laconic |
brief and to the point; using few words; terse |
| |
fake |
not genuine; N: one that is not genuine; impostor; sham; V: counterfeit; Ex. fake the results of the experiment/the signature |
| |
apparition |
ghost; phantom |
| |
scurrilous |
abusive; obscene; indecent; Ex. scurrilous remark |
| |
consanguineous(consanguine) |
having a common ancestor |
| |
diabolical |
diabolic; devilish; fiendish |
| |
wither |
(of a plant) dry up from loss of moisture; lose freshness; shrivel; decay |
| |
fresco |
painting on wet plaster (usually fresh) |
| |
masochist |
person who enjoys his own pain; CF. masochism |
| |
progenitor |
ancestor |
| |
odoriferous |
giving off an odor |
| |
asperity |
sharpness; roughness; severity (of temper or weather); Ex. asperities of a Russian winter |
| |
salient |
prominent; projecting beyond a line; conspicuous; Ex. salient features |
| |
brook |
tolerate; endure; Ex. brook no interference; N: small stream |
| |
ductile |
malleable; pliable; (of metals) easily pulled into shape; flexible; (of someone) easily influenced or controlled |
| |
subversive |
tending to overthrow or ruin; V. subvert: overthrow completely (an established system); destroy completely; CF. undermine ? |
| |
monotony |
sameness leading to boredom; monotonousness; ADJ. monotonous; CF. monotone |
| |
inkling |
hint; slight indication |
| |
corrode |
destroy or wear away gradually by chemical action (over a long period) |
| |
nirvana |
in Buddhist teachings, the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an impersonal beatitude |
| |
ribald |
marked by vulgar lewd humor; wanton; profane; N. ribaldry: ribald language or joke |
| |
elastic |
able to spring back into shape; quick to recover (as from disappointment); able to adapt to change; Ex. elastic plans; N: elastic material |
| |
biennial |
every two years |
| |
pugilist |
boxer; CF. pugilism: boxing |
| |
eulogy |
expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death; V. eulogize |
| |
limp |
walk lamely; ADJ: lacking firmness; weak |
| |
coy |
shy (flirtatiously); showing a (pretended) lack of self-confidence; modest; coquettish; CF. job offer¸¦ ¹Þ¾ÒÀ» ¶§ |
| |
ordain |
decree or command; grant holy orders; predestine; install as a minister, priest, or rabbi; N. ordainment; CF. ordination |
| |
noisome |
foul smelling; very unpleasant; unwholesome |
| |
semblance |
outward appearance; guise; Ex. We called in the troops to bring a/some semblance of order to the city. |
| |
assert |
state strongly or positively; demand recognition of (rights, claims, etc.); make a claim to (by forceful action); Ex. assert one's independence |
| |
calamity |
disaster; misery |
| |
foil |
defeat; frustrate; prevent from being successful; thwart; CF. fail |
| |
invocation |
prayer for help (used in invoking); calling upon as a reference or support; act of invoking |
| |
retaliate |
repay in kind (usually for bad treatment); V. retaliate |
| |
complicity |
participation; involvement (in a questionable act or a crime) |
| |
tangible |
able to be touched; real; concrete; palpable; possible to realize or understand; Ex. tangible proof |
| |
numismatist |
person who collects coins; N. numismatics: study or collection of money, coins, and medals |
| |
supplant |
take the place of unfairly; usurp; replace |
| |
progeny |
children; offspring; descendants |
| |
list |
tilt (as of a ship); lean over (to one side) |
| |
invoke |
call and bring into use (a right or law); call on/upon (a higher power or god) for help; ask for; beg for; conjure (a spirit); Ex. invoke the veto power; Ex. invoke one's advisor/God |
| |
slither |
slip or slide |
| |
precedent |
something preceding in time which may be used as an authority or guide for future action; V. precede; CF. unprecedented |
| |
gaunt |
lean and angular; thin and bony; emaciated; barren |
| |
dishearten |
discourage |
| |
commensurate |
equal in extent; of the same size |
| |
ethereal |
like a spirit or fairy; unearthly light; heavenly; unusually refined; Ex. She has an ethereal beauty; CF. ether: upper air |
| |
archaic |
antiquated; no longer used; belonging to the past; N. |
| |
longevity |
long life; long duration |
| |
pan |
criticize harshly |
| |
quintessence |
purest and highest embodiment; perfect example; apotheosis; most essential element; Ex. quintessence of wit; ADJ. quintessential; CF. fifth essence |
| |
scanty |
meager; insufficient |
| |
unseemly |
unbecoming; not proper in behavior; indecent; Ex. leave with unseemly haste |
| |
rebuff |
reject bluntly; snub; beat back; Ex. She rebuffed his invitation; N. |
| |
pulverize |
crush or grind into very small particles |
| |
canny |
shrewd in money matters; thrifty |
| |
influx |
flowing into |
| |
overwrought |
nervous or excited; extremely agitated; hysterical; wrought-up; CF. wrought: made or done |
| |
clientele |
body of customers |
| |
patent |
obvious; easily seen; open for the public to read; of or protected by a patent; Ex. patent to everyone; N. |
| |
wane |
decrease in size or strength (after being full); grow gradually to an end; Ex. The moon waxes and wanes every month; N. |
| |
fetter |
shackle; restrict the freedom of; N. chain or shackle for the foot of a prisoner; CF. foot |
| |
regeneration |
spiritual rebirth; Ex. regeneration of the prisoners; V. regenerate: give or obtain new life; reform spiritually |
| |
pedagogy |
teaching; art of education |
| |
jubilation |
rejoicing; great joy |
| |
mete |
measure; distribute; administer; Ex. mete out justice/punishment |
| |
pulmonary |
pertaining to the lungs |
| |
rift |
narrow opening in a large mass; break in a friendly relation; Ex. through a rift in the clouds; OP. reconcilation |
| |
exonerate |
acquit; exculpate; free from blame or guilt |
| |
untoward |
unexpected and adverse; unfortunate or unlucky; Ex. untoward encounter |
| |
ramp |
slope; inclined plane or roadway (connecting two levels) |
| |
juncture |
crisis; point in time; joining point; joint; act of joining |
| |
perspicuous |
(of something) plainly expressed; easy to understand; Ex. perspicuous comments |
| |
devoid |
empty; lacking |
| |
prefigure |
be a sign of; foreshadow |
| |
indicative |
suggestive; implying; serving to indicate |
| |
denigrate |
blacken; defame |
| |
lexicon |
dictionary |
| |
sober |
serious; solemn; not drunken; abstemious or temperate; V: make or become sober |
| |
bode |
foreshadow; portend |
| |
reparation |
compensation (for loss or wrong); amends; Ex. make reparation for the damage; CF. repair |
| |
odious |
arousing strong dislike; hateful(causing hatred); vile |
| |
maraud |
move in search of plunder; Ex. marauding army |
| |
meager |
scanty; inadequate |
| |
ceremonious |
marked by formality; extremely formal and polite; CF. ceremony: conventional social courtesy |
| |
autonomous |
self-governing; N. autonomy |
| |
vapid |
lacking liveliness; dull and unimaginative; insipid and flavorless; Ex. vapid lecture |
| |
propitiate |
appease; conciliate; make peaceful; ADJ. propitiatory |
| |
fledgling(fledgeling) |
inexperienced; N: young bird that has acquired wing feathers and is learning to fly; inexperienced person |
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immaculate |
spotless; flawless; absolutely clean |
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distinctive |
clearly different from others of the same kind |
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transpose |
reverse the order or position of |
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momentum |
quantity of motion of a moving body; impetus; moving force |
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exploit |
brave and successful act; deed or action, particularly a brave deed; CF. crossing the Atlantic ocean |
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sibylline |
prophetic; oracular; N. sibyl: woman prophet (in the ancient world) |
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serrated |
having a sawtoothed edge; Ex. serrated leaf |
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cohere |
stick together |
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wistful |
sadly thoughtful (because of desires or memories); sadly pensive; vaguely longing |
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gamely |
in a spirited manner; with courage; Ex. fight gamely against a superior boxer; ADJ. game |
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spurn |
reject disdainfully; scorn; Ex. She spurned all offers of help. |
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conservatory(conservatoire) |
school of the fine arts (especially music or drama); glass-enclosed area; CF. conservancy |
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malcontent |
person dissatisfied with existing state of affairs; discontented person; ADJ: discontented |
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killjoy |
grouch; spoilsport; one who intentionally spoils the pleasure of others |
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discourse |
serious speech, writing, or conversation; formal discussion (either written or spoken); conversation; V. |
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bifurcated |
divided into two branches; forked |
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lucrative |
profitable; producing wealth |
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qualms |
uneasy feelings; misgivings; uneasy fears especially about matters of conscience; Ex. I have no qualms about giving this assignment to Helen. |
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fusion |
union; coalition; V. fuse |
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clarion |
shrill, trumpetlike sound; kind of trumpet used in former times |
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traverse |
go through or across |
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cherubic |
angelic; innocent-looking; N. cherub; CF. seraph: winged angel of the highest order |
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parasite |
animal or plant living on another; toady; sycophant; CF. para-: beside |
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decomposition |
decay; V. decompose: decay; break and separate into simple parts |
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industrious |
diligent; hard-working; N. industry |
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metallurgical |
pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores; N. metallurgy: science that deals with extracting metals from ores |
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dutiful(duteous) |
(of people or their behavior) respectful; obedient (filled with a sense of duty) |
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indices |
signs; indications; Ex. indices of a student's potential; CF. index: something that reveals or indicates; sign; Ex. cost-of-living index |
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disband |
dissolve; disperse; (of a group) break up and separate; Ex. The club has disbanded. |
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supposititious |
assumed; counterfeit; hypothetical |
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despot |
tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; CF. despotism |
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topple |
become unsteady and fall down |
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apprise |
inform |
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tardy |
slow; sluggish; not on time; late; Ex. tardy arrival |
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sheer |
pure; thin and transparent; very steep |
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optician |
maker and seller of eyeglasses |
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deposition |
testimony under oath; deposing; dethroning |
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legend |
explanatory list of symbols on a map |
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aseptic |
preventing infection; having a cleansing effect |
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farce |
broad comedy; mockery; humorous play full of silly things happening; ADJ. farcical |
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acrid |
bitter (to the taste or smell); sharp; bitterly pungent |
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raconteur |
story-teller; one who tells stories with wit and skill |
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reduce |
diminish; bring to a weaker or more difficult condition; demote; lower in rank; separate into components by analysis; Ex. reduced to the ranks; Ex. reduce the house to rubble; N. reduction |
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dart |
move or throw suddenly and quickly |
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scholarly |
full of learning; erudite; like a scholar; Ex. scholarly journal |
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cohesion |
tendency to keep together |
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epoch |
period of time |
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canard |
unfounded false rumor; exaggerated false report |
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toss |
throw lightly; move or lift (the head) with a sudden motion; flip (a coin) to decide something |
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phalanx |
formation of infantry carrying overlapping shields and long spears; group of men packed together (for attack or defense) |
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bar |
railing in a courtroom; legal profession; vertical line dividing a staff into equal measures; Ex. prisoner at the bar; V: shut in or out with bars; forbid; exclude; CF. barrister |
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lineaments |
features especially of the face; distinctive shape or contour of the face; CF. line |
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validate |
make valid; confirm; ratify |
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compelling |
overpowering; irresistible in effect; holding one's attention; that compels one to do something; Ex. a compelling adventure story; V. compel |
