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29 Cards in this Set
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adjective
*1 : conceited and overconfident of knowledge but poorly informed and immature 2 : of, relating to, or characteristic of a sophomore |
sophomoric
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combination of the Greek terms "sophos" (meaning "wise") and "mōros" (meaning "foolish")
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noun
1 : an invented fact believed to be true because of its appearance in print *2 : a briefly stated and usually trivial fact |
factoid
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first part connected by "-oid," a suffix that traces back to the ancient Greek word "eidos," meaning "appearance" or "form."
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verb
: to form the basis or foundation of : strengthen, support |
undergird
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derive from the Old English "geard," meaning "enclosure" or "yard."
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verb
1 : to make a raucous noise : squawk *2 : clamor, complain |
yawp
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derived from the past participle of "yelpen," meaning "to boast, call out, or yelp."
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adverb
: while being born or produced |
aborning
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combines the prefix "a-," meaning "in the process of," and "borning," a dialectal word meaning "birth." native of U.S. soil; its arrival is marked in the early 20th century dialect of the rural South, and it quickly found its way to the crowded cities and towns of the industrial north.
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adjective
: being numbered zero in a series; also : of, relating to, or being a zero |
zeroth
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relted to zero but suggests a level of importance that is even higher than first
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verb
: to speak or write verbosely and windily |
bloviate
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The term probably derives from a combination of the word "blow" plus the suffix "-ate." more likely that Harding picked it up from local slang while hanging around with his boyhood buddies in Ohio in the late 1800s.
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adjective
1 *a : resembling a worm in form or motion b : marked with irregular fine lines or with wavy impressed lines 2 : of, relating to, or caused by worms |
vermicular
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"vermis," a Latin noun meaning "worm."
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noun
1 : an elemental being in the theory of Paracelsus that inhabits air *2 : a slender graceful woman or girl |
sylph
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Paracelsus-a well respected German physician- was a man with a vivid imagination. He concocted an elaborate theory of ruling "elemental spirits": gnomes controlled the earth, salamanders fire, undines water, and sylphs (graceful beings whose name in English is from New Latin "sylphus") the air.
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verb
1 : to depreciate (as a coin) officially or publicly *2 : to express strong disapproval of |
decry
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"depreciate," "disparage," and "belittle" and this word all mean "to express a low opinion of something" but at different naunces. This word has a more open condmenation with intent to discredit something
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adjective
1 of a hawk : not tamed 2 a : wild in appearance *b : having a worn or emaciated appearance : gaunt |
haggard
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comes from falconry during Middle French language and referred to an adult bird that was trapped and hard to train
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noun
1 a : the range of vision b : sight, view *2 : the range of perception, understanding, or knowledge |
ken
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changed over time from referring to the sea horizon and the distance you can see, then to the range of sight, and then to today's often meaning in def. 2
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adjective
*1 : resembling an oracle (as in solemnity of delivery) 2 : of, relating to, or being an oracle |
oracular
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comes from oracle but today has a meaning closer to authoritative pronouncement or one who makes such things in the adjective sense
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noun
: one who pretends to knowledge or cleverness; especially : smart aleck |
wiseacre
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came to English by a different route; it derived from the Middle Dutch "wijssegger" (meaning "soothsayer"), a modification of the Old High German "wīzzago." still has a relation to the word "wise"
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adjective
1 : having a huge appetite : ravenous *2 : excessively eager : insatiable |
edacious
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descendant of "edax," which is in turn a derivative of the Latin verb "edere," meaning "to eat." specifically refers to time and is related to "voracious"
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adjective
1 *a : of or relating to the alphabet b : alphabetically arranged 2 : rudimentary |
abecedarian
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Late Latin ancestor, "abecedarius" (which meant "of the alphabet"), was created as a combination of the letters A, B, C, and D, plus the adjective suffix "-arius"
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verb
intransitive verb 1 : to split up into branches or constituent parts *2 : to send forth branches or extensions transitive verb 1 : to cause to branch 2 : to separate into divisions |
ramify
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offshoot of the Latin word for "branch," which is "ramus."
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adjective
1 capitalized : of or relating to Jove *2 : markedly good-humored especially as evidenced by jollity and conviviality |
jovial
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Late Latin adjective "jovialis" meant "of or relating to Jove." It referred to the Roman God Jupiter who brought happiness if you were born on the day this planet was rising
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noun
*1 : one who takes part in dialogue or conversation 2 : a man in the middle of the line in a minstrel show who questions the end men and acts as leader |
interlocutor
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derives from the Latin "interloqui," meaning "to speak between" or "to issue an interlocutory decree" court judgment that comes in the middle of a case and is not decisive.) "Interloqui," in turn, ultimately comes from the words "inter-," "between," and "loqui," "to speak."
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adjective
: tremendous in size, volume, or degree : gigantic, colossal |
gargantuan
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from the name of a giant king in François Rabelais's 16th-century satiric novel Gargantua
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noun
: a noisy boisterous band or parade |
callithump
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The antecedent of "callithumpians" is an 18th-century British dialect term for another noisy group, the "Gallithumpians," who made a rumpus on election days in southern England.
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adjective
: worthy of praise : commendable |
laudable
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from Latin "laud-, laus," meaning "praise."
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verb
1 a : writhe, toss; also : wallow *b : to rise and fall or toss about in or with waves 2 : to become deeply sunk, soaked, or involved 3 : to be in turmoil |
welter
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related to Dutch and Germanic terms meaning "to roll"
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adjective
*1 : belonging to the earliest period or state : original 2 a : not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted (as by civilization) : pure b : fresh and clean as or as if new |
pristine
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people borrowed the meanings of "early" and "original" from the Latin "pristinus" and applied them to what is desirable as well as to what is not.
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noun
: ordinary dress as distinguished from that denoting an occupation or station; especially : civilian clothes when worn by a person in the armed forces |
mufti
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thought to have developed out of this association of stage costume and civilian clothing.
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adjective
: coming or having recently come into existence |
nascent
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comes from "nascens," the present participle of the Latin verb "nasci," which means "to be born."
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noun
1 : a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position 2 a (1) : a remark intended to start a conversation or make a telling point (2) : topic *b : a calculated move : stratagem |
gambit
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close to the Italian word, "gambetto," from which it is derived. "Gambetto" was used for an act of tripping — especially one that gave an advantage, as in wrestling.
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verb
: to depart quickly |
vamoose
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One Spanish term that caught on with English speakers was "vamos," which means "let's go."
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adjective
1 : deprived or robbed of the possession or use of something *2 : lacking something needed, wanted, or expected 3 : bereaved |
bereft
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In Old English, the verb "berēafian" meant "to plunder or rob." The modern equivalent (and descendant) of "berēafian" is "bereave," a verb that implies that you have robbed or stripped someone of something, often suddenly and unexpectedly (and sometimes by force)
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