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300 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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fetid
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offensively malodorous
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progeny
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offspring: the immediate descendants of a person
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oleaginous
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oily; ingratiating
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functionary
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one holding office in a government or political party
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logomaniac
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one obsessed with words
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sui generis
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one of a kind
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stratum
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one of several parallel layers of material arranged one on top of another
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agonist
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one that is engaged in a struggle; a muscle that is controlled by the action of an antagonist with which it is paired
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starveling
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one that is thin (as if) from lack of food
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misanthrope
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one who dislikes or hates other people
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wastrel
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one who expends resources foolishly and self-indulgently
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misogynist
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one who hates women
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study
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One who memorizes something, especially a performer who memorizes a part: "quick study"
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postilion
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one who rides as a guide on the near horse of one of the pairs attached to a coach
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inchoate
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only partly formed, imperfectly formed
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venal
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open to bribery
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chaise
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open, horse-drawn carriage for one or two people, usually with one horse and two wheels
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eleemosynary
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or, relating to, or supported by charity
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patrician
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original or ancient; of the earliest age of the world
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archetype
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original: something that serves as a model or a basis for making copies
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picayune
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originally a spanish coin, worth half a real; a trifle, of little value or importance
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pemmican
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originally Native American dried meat preparation, used as emergency rations
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emigration
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out migration
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ex nihilo
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out of nothing
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alfresco
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outdoors
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campy
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outrageously artifical, affected, out-of-date; exaggerated effeminate mannerisms exhibited especially by gay men
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ham
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overact, exaggerate one's acting
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uxorious
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overly devoted to or submissive to ones wife
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conciliate
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pacify; placate; reconcile
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analgesic
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pain killer
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peaked
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pale, emaciated, sickly
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wan
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pale, sickly; bland, uninterested
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corrugated
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parallel and alternating ridges and grooves
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mange
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parasitic skin infection causing inflammation and hair loss
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shank
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part of human leg between knee and ankle
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huckster
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peddler or hawker; one who uses showy or devious methods to promote or sell a product
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baculum
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penile bone, found in most mammals, though not humans
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belle epoque
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period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I - a golden age for the upper classes
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pax britannica
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period of relative peace in Europe when Britain controlled the seas, roughly 1815-1914.
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fistula
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permanent abnormal passageway between two organs in the body or between an organ and the exterior of the body
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prig
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person who demonstrates an exaggerated conformity or propriety, especially in an irritatingly arrogant or smug manner
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malcontent
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person who is discontented or disgusted
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barfly
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person who spends much time in a bar or similar drinking establishment
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chattel
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personal moveable property (i.e. not part of the real estate assessment)
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sagacious
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perspicacious, acutely insightful and wise
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suasion
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persuasion
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autosomal
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pertaining to a chromosome that is not a sex chromosome
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oneiric
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pertaining to dreams
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betta
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pet fish, common substitute for goldfish
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acid
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pH less than 7, turns litmus paper pink/red
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arthropod
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Phylum Arthropoda: exoskeleton, segmented body, appendages: includes insects, crustaceans, arachnids.
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intubate
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place a tube into orifice of the body
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antipodes
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places directly opposite one another on the globe; also "antipodeans"
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pestilence
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plague, any epidemic disease with high death rate
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bromide
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platitude, a trite remark
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protectionism
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policy of imposing duties or quotas on imports in order to protect home industries from overseas competition
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agitprop
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political propaganda, esp. communist, disseminated through literature, drama, art or music
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urchin
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poor and often mischievous city child
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grouse
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popular game bird, i.e. hunted for its flesh
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portico
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porch or entrance to building consisting of covered and often columned area
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lardon
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pork products: bacon, salted pork, etc.
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treaty port
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port cities in china, japan and korea opened up to foreign trade by the "unequal treaties"
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cataplasm
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poultice
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flack
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PR guy
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gnostic
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pre-Christian belief that knowledge is more important than faith, and truth reached through intuition
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bullion
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precious metals in bulk form
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anamnesis
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preliminary case history of medical or psychiatric patient
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endemic
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Prevalent in or peculiar to a particular locality, region, or people
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crepuscular
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primarily active at twilight, e.g. dawn and dusk
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tete a tete
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Private conversation; familiar interview or conference of two persons
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assay
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procedure to test efficacy of a drug; analysis to determine presence of one or more components
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biosynthesis
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production of a chemical compound by a living organism
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salubrious
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promoting health
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expectorant
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promoting the expulsion of phlegm or mucus
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harlot
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prostitute: a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money
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gauntlet
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protective glove used as a form of armor
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hernia
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protrusion of tissue or organ through the muscle tissue or organ by which it is normally contained
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provident
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providing carefully for the future
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liturgy
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public worship done by a religious group
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astringent
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puckers or shrinks bodily tissues
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cathartic
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purification or purgation
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avante garde
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pushing of boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or status quo
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timbre
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quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume
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nostrum
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questionable remedy or scheme; medicine of secret composition - lacking scientific proof of effectiveness
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irascible
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quickly aroused to anger
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rancid
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rank smell of decomposing oil or fats
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labile
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readily open to change; unstable
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cinnabar
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Red mercury sulfide, the common ore of mercury.
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canonical
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reduced to the most simple and significant form possible without loss of generality
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reductive
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reducing complex data and phenomena to simple terms
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venturi flow
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reduction in fluid pressure (and increase in speed) when flowing through a constricted pipe
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pleonasm
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redundancy, excessive use of words
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icebox
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refrigerator
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recalcitrant
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refusing to obey authority, custom , regulation, etc.; stubbornly defiant; hard to handle or deal with
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patois
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regional dialect, esp. without a literary tradition
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filial
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relating to a son or daughter
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apoplectic
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relating to a stroke, very angry (as to be in danger of a stroke)
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anabolic
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relating to anabolism - the synthesis in living organisms of more complex substances (e.g., living tissue) from simpler ones
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sanguine
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relating to blood, sturdy, cheerful
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Medieval
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relating to Middle Ages, about 400AD to 1517AD
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ontological
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relating to ontology: the branch of metaphysics that addresses the nature or essential characteristics of being
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corvine
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relating to or resembling a crow
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riparian
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relating to the bank of a natural watercourse, or sometimes a lake
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labial
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relating to the lips; spoken with both lips
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marine
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relating to the sea
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haptic
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relating to the sense of touch
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vicuña
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Relative to llama, ancestor of alpaca
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neap tide
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relatively low high tide
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germane
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relevant and appropriate
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apposite
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relevant, well-suited, apt
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ablation
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removal of material from the surface of an object by vaporization, chipping, or other erosive processes
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becalmed
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rendered motionless for lack of wind
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cartesianism
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Rene Descartes' idea: basically, that you can figure stuff out, rather than rely on empiricism
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rebarbative
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repellent, irritating
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subrogation
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replacing one creditor with another - what an insurance company does
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pro se
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representing oneself in court
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censure
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reprimand: rebuke formally
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dirge
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requiem, song or hymn of mourning
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de rigueur
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required by convention or fashion, but not by any hard rule
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roseate
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resembling a rose, particularly in color
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cerulean
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resembling the blue of the sky
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eminence grise
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respected authority, elder statesman
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venerable
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respected because of age
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revanchism
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revenge, esp. political policy to recover lost territory or status
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piety
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reverence and devotion to God
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stat
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Right away! [From the latin statim.]
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primogeniture
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right of inheritence goes to the first son
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rapscallion
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rogue: a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
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agricola
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Roman general ('40 - '93) responsible for much of the conquest of Britain
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mud room
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room which is built into some houses to act as a barrier between outdoors and indoors
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asperity
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roughness of manner or temper
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scut work
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routine and often menial labor
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tenement
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run-down apartment house barely meeting minimal standards
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isotope
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same atomic number (protons), but different atomic mass (neutrons)
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gratify
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satisfy
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telemetry
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science and technology of automatic measurement and transmission of data by wire, radio, or other means from remote sources, as from space vehicles, to receiving stations for recording and analysis
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ballistic
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science of mechanics dealing with the flight of projectiles, under gravity (i.e. not guided)
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dendrochronology
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scientific dating by counting tree rings
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ethnobotanical
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scientific study of relationship between people and plants
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sardonic
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scornful and mocking
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bass relief
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Sculptural form in which figures are carved in a flat surface and project only slightly from the background
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relief
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sculptured artwork where a modeled form is lowered or raised against a flattened background
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head shop
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sells pot smoking gear
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garnet
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semi-precious stone, found in many different colors
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winnow
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separate chaff using air currents; cull out desirable parts from a group or list
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sycophant
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servile, self-seeking flatterer
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sepsis
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severe illness in which bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria
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ophthalmia
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severe inflammation of the eye
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nubile
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sexually attractive, of marriageable condition or age
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threadbare
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shabby, frayed and worn to an extent that warp threads show; banal: repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
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delirium tremens
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shaking caused by alcohol withdrawal
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honi soit qui mal y pense
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Shame be to him who thinks evil of it
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trenchant
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sharply perceptive
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tonsure
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shaved head (or spot) on the head of monk
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tibia
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shinbone
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galley
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ship or boat propelled chiefly by oars; kitchen, especially of ship or airplane; tray to hold column of set type
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breeches
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short pants covering hips and thighs and fitting snugly at the knee
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bilious
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sickeningly unpleasant; of or relating to bile (secreted by liver, associated with ill-temper)
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straggle
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sidetrack: wander from a direct or straight course
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alluvial
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silty material deposited by running water
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spartan
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Simple, frugal, or austere; Courageous in the face of pain, danger, or adversity.
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synchrony
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simultaneous occurrence
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clade
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Related organisms (or humans) descended from a common ancestor
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legerdemain
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slight of hand
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stasis
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slowing or stoppage of normal flow or bodily fluid or semi-fluid; a state of static balance or equilibrium
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slattern
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slut
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poky
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small and cramped, dull
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pilchard
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small marine fish related to herring
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septic tank
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small scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewage pipes provided by local governments
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frigate
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smaller than destroyer
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peritoneum
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smooth membrane lining abdominal cavity of mammal
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viscera
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soft internal organs, especially intestines
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lambent
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softly bright or radiant
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nightshade
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Solanaceae family of flowering plants, including potato, belladonna, tobacco, eggplant, tomato, capsicum.
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grenadier
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soldiers who (originally) threw grenades - selected for size and strength
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dowel
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solid cylindrical rod, usually made of wood, plastic or metal
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sybarite
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somebody seeking sensual gratification
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stoic
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someone seemingly indifferent to emotions
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bane
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something causing misery or death
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frippery
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something foolish or affectedly elegant
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bloom is off the rose
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something is no longer new, fresh
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bagatelle
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something of little value or significance; a light piece of music for piano
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opprobrium
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something that brings disgrace; public disgrace after ill conduct
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cladding
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something that covers or overlays, spec. metal covering bonded to a metal core
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bete noire
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something that is particularly disliked or that is to be avoided
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lodestone
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something that strongly attracts
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metonymy
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something used to refer to anothing thing of which it is NOT a part, e.g. "The White House said" for President and his staff. Similar to synecdoche.
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sop
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Something yielded to placate or soothe; a bribe
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balmy
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soothing, mild and pleasant
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bereaved
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sorrowful through loss or deprivation; "bereft of hope"
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diphthong
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sound in which one vowel gradually changes to another, e.g. boil, fine
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sacerdote
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Spanish word for priest
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farrier
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specialist in equine hoof care
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ptarmigan
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species of arctic grouse
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casuistry
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specious argument, rationalization
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ambit
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sphere or area of control and influence
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dollop
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spoonful of soft food, such as mashed potatoes or whipped cream
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received pronunciation
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standard high-class English accent
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touchstone
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standard, a basis for comparison, a reference point for evaluation.
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privation
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state of extreme poverty
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credo
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statement of belief
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dyed in the wool
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steadfast
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flinty
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stern, unyielding
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rondel
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stiff-bladed dagger; protective metal disc - often in armpit; a form of French poetry - 13 lines, variant of rondeau
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hose
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stockings, socks
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calculi
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stones formed inside hollow organs, e.g. kidney and bladder stones
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striae
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stretch mark in skin
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hurdy-gurdy
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stringed musical instrument in which the strings are sounded by means of a rosined wheel which the strings of the instrument pass over
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rank (a)
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Strong and offensive in odor or flavor; conspicuously offensive
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concupiscence
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strong desire, esp. sexual
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testament
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strong evidence for something; a profession of belief
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liqueur
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strong highly flavored sweet liquor usually drunk after a meal
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ticking (n)
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strong, tightly woven fabric of cotton or linen used to make pillow and mattress coverings
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intransigence
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stubborn refusal to compromise
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cantankerous
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Stubborn, cranky, or surly
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contumacious
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stubbornly disobedient
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obstreperous
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stubbornly resistant to control, unruly
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morphology
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study of structure or form
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jetsam
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stuff floating in sea after deliberate jettisoning
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flotsam
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stuff from ship accidentally floating in sea
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oeuvre
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substantial body of work constituting lifework of writer, artist or composer
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sophistry
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subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation
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plausible
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superficially fair, but often specious
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lancet
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surgical knife with a short, wide, pointed double-edged blade, used especially for making punctures and small incisions
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lithotomy
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surgical removal of calculi, such as kidney and bladder stones
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turgid
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swollen; excessively embellished
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couvade syndrome
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sympathetic pregnancy in the father-to-be
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reticent
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temperamentally disinclined to talk; reluctant to draw attention to yourself
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expedient (n)
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temporary means to an end
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breveted
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temporary promotion in military rank without increase in pay
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midshipman
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temporary rank held by young naval officers in training
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evanescent
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tending to vanish like vapor
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tonus
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tension in a relaxed muscle
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purple prose
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term of literary criticism used to describe passages, or sometimes entire literary works, written in prose so overly extravagant, ornate, or flowery as to break the flow and draw attention to itself
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grisly
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terrifying, repellent, gruesome
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superego
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that part of the unconscious mind that acts as a conscience
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repose
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The act of resting or the state of being at rest; freedom from worry; calmness
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wheedling
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the act of urging by means of teasing or flattery
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predation
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the act or practice of plundering or maraudin; The capturing of prey as a means of maintaining life
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tenor
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the adult male singing voice above baritone
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quarterdeck
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the after part of the upper deck of a ship, usually reserved for officers
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ferret
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the animal; an active and persistent searcher
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lapidary
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an expert on precious stones and the art of cutting and engraving them
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statecraft
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The art of leading a country
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dramaturgy
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the art or technique of dramatic composition and theatrical represenation
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mortar
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the bowl (pestle is the stick); cannon with SHORT tube
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epistemology
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the branch of philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge
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precipice
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The brink of a dangerous or disastrous situation
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cloture
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the closing of debate in a legislative body, esp. by calling for a vote
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consequent
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the conclusion of a conditional sentence
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reverie
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the condition of being lost in thought
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decorum
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the conventions of polite behavior
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assizes
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the county courts of England (replaced in 1971 by Crown courts)
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caterwauling
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the cry of a cat in heat; to make a harsh cry
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antithesis
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the direct opposite
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ethos
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the distinctive spirit of a culture or era
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iatrogenic
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the doctor's fault
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détente
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the easing of tensions or strained relations
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prerogative
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The exclusive right and power to command, decide, rule, or judge
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placket
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the fabric that surrounds and reinforces fasteners, such as buttons or zippers
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incipit
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the first part, esp. the opening words of a text of a medieval manuscript
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suppuration
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the formation or discharge of pus
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capstone
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the high point, crowning achievement
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soprano
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the highest female voice; the voice of a boy before puberty
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homestead
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the home and adjacent grounds occupied by a family, a tract of land acquired from United States public lands by filing a record and living on and cultivating the tract
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picador
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the horseman who pricks a bull with lance at beginning of bullfight
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synapse
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the junction between two neurons (axon-to-dendrite) or between a neuron and a muscle
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attainder
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The loss of civil rights following a sentence of death or outlawry for treason or felony.
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hydrography
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the mapping of bodies of water
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calliope
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the muse of eloquence or epic poetry, mother of Orpheus with Apollo
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mutatis mutandis
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the necessary changes having been made
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vernissage
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the opening of an art exhibition
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genesis
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the origin or coming into being of something
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denouement
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the outcome of a series of events, the final resolution of a dramatic or narrative plot
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periphery
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the outside boundry or surface of something
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eave
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the overhang at lower edge of a roof
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prosody
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the patterns of stress and intonation in a language
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milieu
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the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops
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biogenesis
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The principle that living organisms develop only from other living organisms and not from nonliving matter; The supposed recurrence of the evolutionary stages of a species during the embryonic development and differentiation of a member of that species;
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easement
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the privilege of using something that is not your own
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finitude
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the quality of being finite
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complement (n)
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the quantity, number, or assortment required to make a thing complete
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morpheme
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the smallest linguistic unit that has semantic meaning
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whit
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the smallest part imaginable
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phoneme
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the smallest unit of sound
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chancel
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The space around the altar of a church for the clergy and sometimes the choir, often enclosed by a lattice or railing
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metastasis
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the spreading of a disease (especially cancer) to another part of the body
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vernacular
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The standard native language of a country or locality; common, nonscientific name of a plant or animal; idiom of a particular trade or profession
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oblivion
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the state of being disregarded or forgotten
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verity
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the state of being true or real
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debility
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the state of being weak or feeble
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ethnographiy
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the study and systematic recording of human cultures
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semantics
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the study of meaning
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phonology
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the study of the sound system of a given language and the analysis and classification of its phonemes
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symbology
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the study or the use of symbols and symbolism
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ego
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the thinking and feeling "I" of any self
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temperance
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the trait of avoiding temperance
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dieresis
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the two dots used over the second vowel in noel, naïve
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gable
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the vertical triangular end of a building from cornice or eaves to ridge
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turbid
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thick and opaque, deficient in clarity or purity
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