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228 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abate
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v. to decrease; reduce
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abdicate
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v. to give up a position, right, or power
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abject
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adj. miserable; pitiful
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abjure
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v. to reject; abandon formally
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abscission
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n. the act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf or other part of a plant
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abstinence
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n. the giving up of certain pleasures
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abysmal
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adj. very bad
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accretion
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n. growth in size or increase in amount
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accrue
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v. to accumulate; grow by additions
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adamant
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adj. uncompromising; unyielding
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adjunct
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n. something added, attached, or joined
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adulterate
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v. to corrupt or make impure
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affected
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adj. pretentious, phony
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affinity
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n. fondness; liking; similarity
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aggrandize
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v. to make larger or greater
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alchemy
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n. medieval chemical philosophy based on changing metal into gold; a seemingly magical power or process of transmutation
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allay
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v. to lessen; ease; soothe
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alleviate
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v. to relieve; improve partially
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alloy
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n. a combination; a mixture of two or more metals
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allure
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n. the power to entice by charm
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ambrosia
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n. something delicious; the food of the gods
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amenable
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adj. agreeable; cooperative; suited
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amenity
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n. something that increases comfort
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amulet
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n. ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits
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analgesic
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n. medication that reduces or eliminates pain
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anarchy
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n. absence of government; state of disorder
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anodyne
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n. something that calms or soothes pain
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antecedent
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n. something that comes before
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antediluvian
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adj. prehistoric
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apathy
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n. indifference
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apex
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n. the highest point
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apogee
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n. the point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited; the highest point
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apothegm
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n. a terse, witty saying
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appease
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v. to calm; pacify; placate
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appellation
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n. name
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apposite
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adj. strikingly appropriate and relevant
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apropos
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adj. relevant
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arabesque
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n. ornate design featuring intertwined curves; a ballet position in which one leg is extended in back while the other supports the weight of the body
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archeology
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n. the study of material evidence of past human life
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ardor
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n. great emotion or passion
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arduous
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adj. extremely difficult; laborious
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argot
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n. a specialized vocab used by a group
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arrest
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v. to stop; to seize
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artifact
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n. item made by human craft
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asperity
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n. severity; harshness; irritability
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aspersion
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n. slander; false rumor
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astringent
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adj. harsh; severe
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asylum
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n. place of refuge or shelter
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atavism
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n. in biology, the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence; individual or a part that exhibits atavism; return of a trait after a period of absence
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avarice
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n. greed
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avocation
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n. secondary occupation
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avuncular
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adj. like an uncle, benevolent and tolerant
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axiomatic
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adj. taken for granted
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bacchanalian
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adj. pertaining to riotous or drunken festivity; pertaining to revelry
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banter
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n. playful conversation
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bard
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n. poet
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bawdy
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adj. obscene
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beatify
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v. to sanctify; to bless, to ascribe virtue to
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bedizen
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v. to dress in a vulgar, showy manner
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behemoth
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n. huge creature; anything very large and powerful
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bifurcate
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v. to divide into two parts
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blandishment
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n. flattery
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blase
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adj. bored because of frequent indulgence; unconcerned
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bolster
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v. to give boost to; prop up; support
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bovine
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adj. cowlike
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brazen
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adj. bold; shameless
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broach
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v. to mention for the first time
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bucolic
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adj. characteristic of the countryside; rustic; pastoral
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cadge
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v. to beg; sponge
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callous
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adj. thick-skinned; insensitive
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calumny
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n. false and malicious accusation; slander
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canard
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n. false, deliberately misleading story
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canon
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n. an established principle; a basis or standard for judgment; a group of literary works
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cant
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n. insincere talk; language of a particular group
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cantankerous
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adj. irritable; ill-humored
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captious
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adj. faultfinding; intended to to entrap, as in an arguement
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cardinal
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adj. of foremost importance
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carnal
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adj. of the flesh or body; related to physical appetites
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carping
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v. to find fault; complain
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cartography
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n. science of making maps
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caste
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n. any of the hereditary social classes of Hindu society; social stratification
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cataclysm
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n. a violent upheaval that causes great destruction and change
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categorical
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adj. absolute; without exception
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caucus
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n. smaller group within an organization
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caustic
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adj. sarcastically biting; burning
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celestial
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adj. concerning the sky or heavens; sublime
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centrifugal
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adj. moving away from a center
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centripetal
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adj. moving or directed toward a center
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champion
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v. to defend or support
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chasten
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v. to correct by punishment or reproof; to restrain or subdue
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chivalry
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n. the qualities idealized by knighthood such as bravery and gallantry toward women
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churlish
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adj. rude; boorish
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circuitous
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adj. roundabout
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clairvoyant
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n. one who can predict the future; psychic
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coalesce
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v. to cause to become one
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codify
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v. to systemize
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cognizant
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adj. informed; conscious; aware
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collage
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n. artistic composition of materials pasted over a surface; an assemblage of diverse elements
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complacent
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adj. self-satisfied
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complement
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n. something that completes or makes up a whole
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compliant
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adj. yielding
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compunction
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n. uneasiness caused by guilt
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concave
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adj. curving inward
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concoct
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v. to invent
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concomitant
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n. existing concurrently
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condone
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v. to overlook voluntarily; forgive
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congenial
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adj. similar in tastes and habits; friendly; suited to
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conjugal
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adj. pertaining to marriage agreement
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conscript
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n. person compulsorily enrolled for military service
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consecrate
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v. to declare sacred
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contiguous
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adj. touching; connecting without a break
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continence
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n. self-control; abstention from sexual activity
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contrite
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adj. very sorrowful for a wrong
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contumacious
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adj. disobedient; rebellious
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converge
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v. to approach; come together; tend to meet
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convex
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adj. curved outward
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convivial
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adj. sociable
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copious
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adj. abundant; plentiful
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coquette
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n. a woman who flirts
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cornucopia
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n. horn overflowing with fruit and grain; state of abundance
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covert
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adj. hidden; secret
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covetous
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adj. desiring something owned by another
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cozen
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v. to mislead by trick or fraud; deceive
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credence
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n. acceptance of something as true
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credo
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n. statement of belief or principle; creed
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daunt
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v. to discourage; intimidate; dishearten
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dearth
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n. scarcity
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debauchery
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n. corruption
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defame
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v. to malign; harm someone's reputation
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default
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v. to fail to act
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defunct
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adj. no longer existing
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demographic
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adj. related to population balance
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demotic
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adj. pertaining to people
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demur
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v. to express doubt
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denizen
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n. inhabitant; a regular visitor
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denouement
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n. outcome; unraveling of the plot of a play or work of literature
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deride
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v. to mock
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desuetude
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n. state of disuse
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deterrent
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n. something that discourages or hinders
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detraction
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n. the act of taking away; derogatory comment on a person's character
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diaphanous
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adj. transparent; fine-textured; insubstantial; vague
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discomfit
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v. to make uneasy; disconcert
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discretion
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n. quality of showing self-restraint in speech or actions; circumspection; freedom to act on one's own
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dissident
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n. person who disagrees about beliefs
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distrait
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adj. inattentive; preoccupied
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diverge
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v. to vary; go in different directions from the same point
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divest
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v. to strip; deprive; rid
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divulge
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v. to make known something that is secret
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document
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v. to provide with written evidence to support
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doggerel
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n. poor verse
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dormant
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ad. inactive
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dross
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n. waste; worthless matter; trivial matter
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effervescence
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n. state of high spirits or liveliness; the process of bubbling as gas escapes
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effete
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adj. defeated of vitality; overrefined; decadent
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egoism
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n. the tendency to see things in relation to oneself; self-centeredness
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egotistical
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adj. excessively self-centered; conceited
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elixir
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n. a substance believed to have the power to cure ills.
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Elysian
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adj. blissful; delightful
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emaciated
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adj. thin and wasted
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emollient
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adj. soothing; mollifying
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encomium
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n. a formal expression of praise
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enhance
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v. to increase; improve
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entomology
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n. the scientific study of insects
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enunciate
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v. to pronounce clearly
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ephemeral
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adj. short-lived; fleeting
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epistemology
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n. branch of philosophy that examines the nature of knowledge
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equable
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adj. steady; unvarying; serene
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errant
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adj. mistaken; straying from the proper course
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essay
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v. to make an attempt; subject to a test
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estimable
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adj. admirable; possible to estimate
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ethnocentric
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adj. based on the attitude that one's group is superior
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etiology
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n. causes or origins
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etymology
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n. origin and history of a word
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eugenics
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n. study of factors that influence the hereditary qualities of the human race and ways to improve these qualities
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euphoria
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n. a feeling of extreme happiness
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euthanasia
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n. mercy killing
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evince
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v. to show plainly; be an indication of
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evocative
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adj. tending to call to mind or produce a reaction
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exact
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v. to force the payment of; demand and obtain by authority
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execrable
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adj. detestable; abhorrent
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exhort
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v. to urge by strong appeals
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existential
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adj. having to do with existence; based on experience; having to do with the philosophy of existentialism
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exorcise
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v. to expel evil spirits; free from bad influences
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expatiate
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v. to speak or write at length
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expatriate
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v. to send into exile
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expiate
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v. to atone for
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explicate
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v. to explain; interpret; clarify
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expository
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adj. explanatory
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extant
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adj. in existence; not lost
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extemporaneous
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adj. unrehearsed
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extirpate
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v. to root up; to destroy
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extrapolation
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n. the act of estimation by projecting known information
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extrinsic
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adj. not inherent or essential
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factotum
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n. a person who does all sorts of work; a handyman
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fallow
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adj. plowed but not sowed; uncultivated
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fauna
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n. animals of a period or region
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feral
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adj. existing in a wild or untamed state
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fervor
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n. warmth and intensity of emotion
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fetid
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adj. having a bad smell
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fetter
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v. to bind; confine
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fiat
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n. arbitrary order; authorization
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fidelity
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n. loyalty; exact correspondence
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filibuster
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n. use of obstructive tactics in a legislature to block passage of a law
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finesse
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v. to handle with a deceptive or evasive strategy; to use finesse, that is, refinement in performance
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fissure
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n. crevice
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flora
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n. plants of a region or era
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florid
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adj. ruddy; reddish; flowery
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flourish
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n. an embellishment or ornamentation
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flux
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n. flowing; a continuous moving
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forbearance
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n. patience
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formidable
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adj. menacing; threatening
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forswear
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v. to renounce; repudiate
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founder
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v. to sink; fail; collapse
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fracas
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n. a loud quarrel; brawl
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fractious
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adj. quarrelsome; unruly; rebellious
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fresco
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n. a painting done on plaster
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frieze
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n. ornamental band on a wall
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froward
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adj. stubbornly contrary; obstinately disobedient
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fulminate
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v. to attack loudly; denounce
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fulsome
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adj. so excessive as to be disgusting
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fusion
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adj. union; synthesis
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futile
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adj. ineffective; useless; fruitless
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gambol
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v. to frolic; leap playfully
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gauche
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adj. course and uncouth; clumsy
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geniality
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n. cheerfulness; kindliness; sociability
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gerrymander
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v. to divide an area into voting districts in a way that favors a political party
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glib
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adj. fluent in an insincere way; offhand
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gossamer
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adj. sheer; light and delicate, like cobwebs
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