Bad Words

Front 1

duplicitious

Back 1

marked by duplicity

Front 2

meld

Back 2

to merge; blend

Front 3

espies espy(n)

Back 3

verb to see at a distance; catch sight of

Front 4

banalise

Back 4

trivialize

Front 5

maudlin

Back 5

adjective tearfully or weakly emotional; foolishly sentimental: a maudlin story of a little orphan and her lost dog

Front 6

kowtowing

Back 6

prostrate

Front 7

sullen/morose

Back 7

2W adjective showing irritation or ill humor by a gloomy silence or reserve

Front 8

catacomb

Back 8

an underground cemetery

Front 9

mausoleum

Back 9

a large stately tomb

Front 10

conjecture

Back 10

"the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof.

Front 11

centenarian

Back 11

pertaining to or having lived 100 years

Front 12

desultory

Back 12

"adj1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation. 2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.

Front 13

maelstrom

Back 13

–noun 1. a large, powerful, or violent whirlpool

Front 14

tenuous

Back 14

"–adjective 1. thin or slender in form, as a thread. 2. lacking a sound basis, as reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak: a tenuous argument.

Front 15

gadfly

Back 15

noun, plural -flies. 1. any of various flies, as a stable fly or warble fly, that bite or annoy domestic animals

Front 16

dithyrambic

Back 16

any wildly enthusiastic speech or writing

Front 17

calumnies

Back 17

–noun, plural -nies. 1. a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something: The speech was considered a calumny of the administration

Front 18

crass

Back 18

"adjective, -er, -est. 1. without refinement, delicacy, or sensitivity; gross; obtuse; stupid: crass commercialism; a crass misrepresentation of the facts.

Front 19

satyr

Back 19

a lascivious man; lecher

Front 20

purgative/cathartic

Back 20

2W adjective 1. purging or cleansing, especially by causing evacuation of the bowels. –noun 2. a purgative medicine or agent; cathartic

Front 21

quiddity

Back 21

"the quality that makes a thing what it is; the essential nature of a thing.

Front 22

imbued

Back 22

to impregnate or inspire, as with feelings, opinions

Front 23

panoply

Back 23

a wide-ranging and impressive array or display:

Front 24

cowed

Back 24

to frighten with threats, violence, etc.; intimidate; overawe

Front 25

reifies

Back 25

to convert into or regard as a concrete thing

Front 26

sui generis

Back 26

of his, her, its, or their own kind; unique

Front 27

fugacious

Back 27

"fleeting; transitory: a sensational story with but a fugacious claim on the public's attention.

Front 28

ephemeral/transient

Back 28

2W lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory: the ephemeral joys of childhood. 2. lasting but one day: an ephemeral flower.

Front 29

sanguine

Back 29

cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: a sanguine disposition; sanguine expectations. 2. reddish; ruddy: a sanguine complexion 3. bloody

Front 30

florid

Back 30

reddish; ruddy; rosy: a florid complexion. 2. flowery; excessively ornate; showy: florid writing

Front 31

thespian

Back 31

"pertaining to tragedy or to the dramatic art in general.

Front 32

asinine

Back 32

"foolish, unintelligent, or silly; stupid: It is surprising that supposedly intelligent people can make such asinine statements.

Front 33

teeming(a)

Back 33

to abound or swarm with large groups of people; be prolific or fertile; empty or pour out;discharge

Front 34

nimble

Back 34

quick and light in movement; moving with ease; agile; active; rapid: nimble feet.

Front 35

wily

Back 35

adjective, wil·i·er, wil·i·est. full of, marked by, or proceeding from wiles; crafty; cunning

Front 36

wee

Back 36

little; very small

Front 37

rivulet

Back 37

a small stream; streamlet; brook

Front 38

bourn

Back 38

noun Archaic . 1. a bound; limit. 2. destination; goal. 3. realm; domain

Front 39

din

Back 39

a loud discordant confused noise

Front 40

tatter

Back 40

a torn piece hanging loose from the main part, as of a garment or flag

Front 41

ambisinister

Back 41

clumsy or unskillful with both hands

Front 42

puerile

Back 42

adjective 1. of or pertaining to a child or to childhood. 2. childishly foolish; immature or trivial: a puerile piece of writing.

Front 43

rubicon

Back 43

"cross the Rubicon , pass the Rubicon to commit oneself irrevocably to some course of action

Front 44

hyperbole

Back 44

obvious and intentional exaggeration

Front 45

corollary

Back 45

an immediate consequence or easily drawn conclusion. 3. a natural consequence or result

Front 46

nook

Back 46

a corner, as in a room. 2. any secluded or obscure corner. 3. any small recess: a breakfast nook

Front 47

intrepid

Back 47

resolutely fearless; dauntless: an intrepid explorer.

Front 48

rhapsodic

Back 48

extravagantly enthusiastic; ecstatic

Front 49

maenad

Back 49

a frenzied or raging woman

Front 50

peripatetic

Back 50

" adj 1. itinerant 2. ( Brit ) employed in two or more educational establishments and travelling from one to another: a peripatetic football coach

Front 51

incredulity

Back 51

the quality or state of being incredulous; inability or unwillingness to believe.

Front 52

decrepitude

Back 52

decrepit condition; dilapidated state; feebleness, especially from old age

Front 53

obdurate

Back 53

unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding.

Front 54

penumbra

Back 54

a shadowy, indefinite, or marginal area

Front 55

pusillanimity

Back 55

noun the state or condition of being pusillanimous; timidity; cowardliness.

Front 56

vacuous

Back 56

without contents; empty: the vacuous air.

Front 57

nominal

Back 57

adj of, pertaining to, or constituting a name or names

Front 58

purloin

Back 58

to take dishonestly; steal; filch; pilfer

Front 59

ersatz

Back 59

serving as a substitute; synthetic; artificial: an ersatz coffee made from grain.

Front 60

entwined

Back 60

to twine with, about, around, or together

Front 61

obsolescence

Back 61

becoming obsolete or out of date

Front 62

mimetic

Back 62

characterized by, exhibiting, or of the nature of imitation or mimicry: mimetic gestures

Front 63

avant garde

Back 63

noun1. the advance group in any field, especially in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods.

Front 64

voluminous

Back 64

adjective 1. forming, filling, or writing a large volume or many volumes: a voluminous edition

Front 65

permute

Back 65

to alter or change

Front 66

surreal

Back 66

having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic: surreal complexities of the bureaucracy

Front 67

ineptitude

Back 67

awkward, clumsy, or incompetent

Front 68

de facto

Back 68

in fact; in reality: Although his title was prime minister, he was de facto president of the country. Although the school was said to be open to all qualified students, it still practiced de facto segregation

Front 69

post hoc

Back 69

after this; afterward.

Front 70

vanguard

Back 70

the foremost division or the front part of an army; advance guard; van. 2. the forefront in any movement, field, activity, or the like

Front 71

nautical

Back 71

pertaining to sailor

Front 72

buoy

Back 72

"to keep afloat or support by or as if by a life buoy; keep from sinking (often followed by up ): The life jacket buoyed her up until help arrived.

Front 73

variegated

Back 73

varied in appearance or color; marked with patches or spots of different colors

Front 74

interpose

Back 74

put between things

Front 75

coy

Back 75

shy

Front 76

philander

Back 76

(of a man) to make love with a woman one cannot or will not marry; carry on flirtations.

Front 77

seminal

Back 77

having possibilities of future development

Front 78

octogenarian

Back 78

live to 80 yrs old

Front 79

nu

Back 79

well? so? so what

Front 80

foibles

Back 80

"a minor weakness or failing of character; slight flaw or defect: an all-too-human foible.

Front 81

groveling

Back 81

to humble oneself or act in an abject manner, as in great fear or utter servility. 2. to lie or crawl with the face downward and the body prostrate, especially in abject humility, fear, etc

Front 82

peccadilloes

Back 82

a very minor or slight sin or offense; a trifling fault

Front 83

anthology

Back 83

"a book or other collection of selected writings by various authors, usually in the same literary form, of the same period, or on the same subject: an anthology of Elizabethan drama; an anthology of modern philosophy.

Front 84

parlance

Back 84

"noun 1. a way or manner of speaking; vernacular; idiom: legal parlance.

Front 85

enamor

Back 85

to fill or inflame with love (usually used in the passive and followed by of or sometimes with ):

Front 86

ethologies

Back 86

the study of animal behavior with emphasis on the behavioral patterns that occur in natural environments

Front 87

recuse

Back 87

"to withdraw from a position of judging so as to avoid any semblance of partiality or bias.

Front 88

decocting

Back 88

to extract the flavor or essence of by boiling

Front 89

purgation/cathartic

Back 89

the act of purging.

Front 90

fanfaronade

Back 90

–noun bragging; bravado; bluster

Front 91

dastard

Back 91

coward

Front 92

brusque/curt

Back 92

rude;abupt

Front 93

furled

Back 93

"verb (used with object) 1. to gather into a compact roll/fold and bind securely, as a sail against a spar or a flag against its staff.

Front 94

burgeon

Back 94

verb (used without object) 1. to grow or develop quickly; flourish: The town burgeoned into a city. He burgeoned into a fine actor

Front 95

lumbago

Back 95

noun Pathology . pain in the lower, or lumbar, region of the back or loins, especially chronic or recurring pain.

Front 96

loom

Back 96

verb (used without object) 1. to appear indistinctly; come into view in indistinct and enlarged form: The mountainous island loomed on the horizon.

Front 97

steerage

Back 97

"(in a passenger ship) the part or accommodations allotted to the passengers who travel at the cheapest rate.

Front 98

sodden

Back 98

"adjective 1. soaked with liquid or moisture; saturated. 2. heavy, lumpy, or soggy, as food that is poorly cooked. 3. having a soaked appearance.

Front 99

adulterate

Back 99

tainted with impurities and unfiltered

Front 100

cogent

Back 100

adjective 1. convincing or believable by virtue of forcible, clear, or incisive presentation; telling. 2. to the point; relevant; pertinent

Front 101

stoic

Back 101

adjective 1. of or pertaining to the school of philosophy founded by Zeno, who taught that people should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and submit without complaint to unavoidable necessity.

Front 102

tandem

Back 102

occuring in order one after the other

Front 103

zenith

Back 103

highest point or state; culmination.

Front 104

cursory

Back 104

adjective going rapidly over something, without noticing details; hasty; superficial: a cursory glance at a newspaper article

Front 105

emblem

Back 105

"–noun 1. an object or its representation, symbolizing a quality, state, class of persons, etc.; symbol: The olive branch is an emblem of peace.

Front 106

quarrelled

Back 106

"–noun 1. an angry dispute or altercation; a disagreement marked by a temporary or permanent break in friendly relations. 2. a cause of dispute, complaint, or hostile feeling: She has no quarrel with her present salary.

Front 107

espouse

Back 107

to make one's own; adopt or embrace; adopt

Front 108

collocate

Back 108

juxtapose

Front 109

untenable

Back 109

adjective 1. incapable of being defended, as an argument, thesis, etc.; indefensible. 2. not fit to be occupied, as an apartment, house, etc

Front 110

quotidian

Back 110

–adjective 1. daily: a quotidian report. 2. usual or customary; everyday: quotidian needs

Front 111

fervor

Back 111

"–noun 1. great warmth and earnestness of feeling: to speak with great fervor.

Front 112

titubation

Back 112

–noun Pathology . a disturbance of body equilibrium in standing or walking, resulting in an uncertain gait and trembling, especially resulting from diseases of the cerebellum

Front 113

glib

Back 113

–adjective, glib·ber, glib·best. 1. readily fluent, often thoughtlessly, superficially, or insincerely so: a glib talker; glib answers. 2. easy or unconstrained, as actions or manners.

Front 114

solemn

Back 114

gravely or somberly impressive; causing serious thoughts or a grave mood: solemn music. 3. serious or earnest: solemn assurances

Front 115

piquant

Back 115

"adjective 1. agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart: a piquant aspic. 2. agreeably stimulating, interesting, or attractive: a piquant glance.

Front 116

canoodle

Back 116

caress, fondle

Front 117

sinecure

Back 117

–noun 1. an office or position requiring little or no work, especially one yielding profitable returns

Front 118

dejection

Back 118

–noun 1. depression or lowness of spirits

Front 119

despondent

Back 119

adjective feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom: despondent about failing health

Front 120

doting

Back 120

adjective 1. excessively fond: doting parents

Front 121

ensnare

Back 121

verb (used with object), -snared, -snar·ing. to capture in, or involve as in, a snare: to be ensnared by lies; to ensnare birds.

Front 122

dune

Back 122

noun a sand hill or sand ridge formed by the wind, usually in desert regions or near lakes and oceans.

Front 123

semiotic

Back 123

"adjective Also, se·mi·ot·i·cal. 1. of or pertaining to signs. 2. of or pertaining to semiotics. 3. Medicine/Medical . of or pertaining to symptoms; symptomatic.

Front 124

ingratiate

Back 124

–verb (used with object), -at·ed, -at·ing. to establish (oneself) in the favor or good graces of others, especially by deliberate effort (usually followed by with ): He ingratiated himself with all the guests

Front 125

voluble

Back 125

–adjective characterized by a ready and continuous flow of words; fluent; glib; talkative: a voluble spokesman for the cause

Front 126

feign

Back 126

–verb (used with object) 1. to represent fictitiously; put on an appearance of: to feign sickness. 2. to invent fictitiously or deceptively, as a story or an excuse

Front 127

comport

Back 127

–verb (used with object) 1. to bear or conduct (oneself); behave: He comported himself with dignity. –verb (used without object) 2. to be in agreement, harmony, or conformity (usually followed by with ): His statement does not comport with the facts

Front 128

ignoble

Back 128

adjective 1. of low character, aims, etc.; mean; base: his ignoble purposes. 2. of low grade or quality; inferior. 3. not noble; of humble descent or rank.

Front 129

expletive

Back 129

noun 1. an interjectory word or expression, frequently profane; an exclamatory oath. 2. a syllable, word, or phrase serving to fill out

Front 130

accrue

Back 130

verb (used without object), -crued, -cru·ing. 1. to happen or result as a natural growth, addition, etc. 2. to be added as a matter of periodic gain or advantage, as interest on money.

Front 131

accretion

Back 131

–noun 1. an increase by natural growth or by gradual external addition; growth in size or extent

Front 132

ad hoc

Back 132

–adverb 1. for the special purpose or end presently under consideration: a committee formed ad hoc to deal with the issue.–adjective 2. concerned or dealing with a specific subject, purpose, or end: The ad hoc committee disbanded after making its final report.

Front 133

prodigious

Back 133

(a) extraordinary in size amount extent

Front 134

confute

Back 134

(v) to refute conclusively 1. to overwhelm by argument: to refute conclusively; to prove or show to be false

Front 135

denigrate/sully/traduce

Back 135

"3W–verb (used with object), -grat·ed, -grat·ing. 1. to speak damagingly of; criticize in a derogatory manner; sully; 2. to treat or represent as lacking in value or importance; belittle; disparage: to denigrate someone's contributions to a project.

Front 136

portentous

Back 136

–adjective 1. of the nature of a portent; momentous. 2. ominously significant or indicative: a portentous defeat. 3. marvelous; amazing; prodigious.

Front 137

prelude

Back 137

"–noun 1. a preliminary to an action, event, condition, or work of broader scope and higher importance. 2. any action, event, comment, etc. that precedes something else.

Front 138

exigent

Back 138

–adjective 1. requiring immediate action or aid; urgent; pressing. 2. requiring a great deal, or more than is reasonable

Front 139

exiguous

Back 139

adjective scanty; meager; small; slender: exiguous income.

Front 140

caustic

Back 140

–adjective 1. capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue. 2. severely critical or sarcastic: a caustic remark

Front 141

chock

Back 141

–noun 1. a wedge or block of wood, metal, or the like, for filling in a space, holding an object steady, etc

Front 142

whet

Back 142

"–verb (used with object) 1. to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction. 2. to make keen or eager; stimulate: to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity.

Front 143

fatidic

Back 143

–adjective prophetic

Front 144

deprecate

Back 144

"–verb (used with object), -cat·ed, -cat·ing. 1. to express earnest disapproval of. 2. to urge reasons against; protest against (a scheme, purpose, etc.).

Front 145

axiomatic

Back 145

"adjective 1. pertaining to or of the nature of an axiom; self-evident; obvious; requiring no proof. 2. aphoristic.

Front 146

fatuous/inane

Back 146

"2W adjective 1. foolish or inane, esp. in an unconscious, complacent manner; silly. 2. unreal; illusory. lacking sense, significance, or ideas

Front 147

felicitate

Back 147

–verb (used with object) 1. to compliment upon a happy event; congratulate

Front 148

convivial

Back 148

adjective 1. friendly; agreeable: a convivial atmosphere. 2. fond of feasting, drinking, and merry company; jovial. 3. of or befitting a feast; festive.

Front 149

throes

Back 149

"noun 1. a violent spasm or pang; paroxysm. 2.a sharp attack of emotion. 3. throes, a. any violent convulsion or struggle: the throes of battle. b. the agony of death. c. the pains of childbirth.

Front 150

reverberant

Back 150

adjective reverberating; reechoing: the reverberant booms of cannon.

Front 151

epitome

Back 151

noun 1. a person or thing that is typical of or possesses to a high degree the features of a whole class: He is the epitome of goodness. 2. a condensed account, esp. of a literary work; abstract.

Front 152

peter

Back 152

verb 1. to diminish gradually and stop; dwindle to nothing: The hot water always peters out in the middle of my shower. 2. to tire; exhaust (usually used as a past participle): I'm petered out after that walk.

Front 153

relic

Back 153

noun 1. a surviving memorial of something past.

Front 154

incipient

Back 154

adjective beginning to exist or appear; in an initial stage: an incipient cold.

Front 155

inchoate

Back 155

adjective 1. not yet completed or fully developed; rudimentary. 2. just begun; incipient. 3. not organized; lacking order: an inchoate mass of ideas on the subject.

Front 156

polity

Back 156

noun 1. a particular form or system of government: civil polity; ecclesiastical polity. 2. the condition of being constituted as a state or other organized community or body: The polity of ancient Athens became a standard for later governments. 3. government or administrative regulation: The colonists demanded independence in matters of internal polity. 4. a state or other organized community or body.

Front 157

squalid

Back 157

adjective 1. foul and repulsive, as from lack of care or cleanliness; neglected and filthy. 2. wretched; miserable; degraded; sordid.

Front 158

exemplar

Back 158

noun 1.a model or pattern to be copied or imitated: Washington is the exemplar of patriotic virtue. 2. a typical example or instance. 3. an original or archetype: Plato thought nature but a copy of ideal exemplars. 4. a copy of a book or text.

Front 159

thwart

Back 159

"verb (used with object) 1. to oppose successfully; prevent from accomplishing a purpose. 2. to frustrate or baffle (a plan, purpose, etc.). noun 3. a seat across a boat, esp. one used by a rower. 4. a transverse member spreading the gunwales of a canoe or the like. adjective 5. passing or lying crosswise or across; cross; transverse. 6. perverse; obstinate.

Front 160

perusal

Back 160

noun 1. a reading: a perusal of the current books. 2. the act of perusing; survey; scrutiny: A more careful perusal yields this conclusion.

Front 161

atomistic

Back 161

"noun 1. Also called atomic theory. Philosophy . the theory that minute, discrete, finite, and indivisible elements are the ultimate constituents of all matter. 2. Psychology . a method or theory that reduces all psychological phenomena to simple elements.

Front 162

apposite

Back 162

adjective suitable; well-adapted; pertinent; relevant; apt: an apposite answer.

Front 163

abeyance/respite

Back 163

2W noun 1. temporary inactivity, cessation, or suspension: Let's hold that problem in abeyance for a while. 2. Law . a state or condition of real property in which title is not as yet vested in a known titleholder: an estate in abeyance.

Front 164

promulgate

Back 164

verb 1. to make known by open declaration; publish; proclaim formally or put into operation (a law, decree of a court, etc.). 2. to set forth or teach publicly (a creed, doctrine, etc.).

Front 165

ennui

Back 165

noun a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom: The endless lecture produced an unbearable ennui.

Front 166

innards

Back 166

noun ( used with a plural verb ) 1. the internal parts of the body; entrails or viscera. 2. the internal mechanism, parts, structure, etc., of something; the interior of something: an engine's innards.

Front 167

infinitesimal

Back 167

"adjective 1. indefinitely or exceedingly small; minute: infinitesimal vessels in the circulatory system. 2. immeasurably small; less than an assignable quantity: to an infinitesimal degree. 3. of, pertaining to, or involving infinitesimals. noun 4. an infinitesimal quantity.

Front 168

moribund

Back 168

"adjective 1.in a dying state; near death. 2. on the verge of extinction or termination. 3. not progressing or advancing; stagnant: a moribund political party.

Front 169

multifarious

Back 169

adjective 1.having many different parts, elements, forms, etc. 2.numerous and varied; greatly diverse or manifold: multifarious activities.

Front 170

malediction

Back 170

noun 1. a curse; imprecation. 2. the utterance of a curse. 3. slander.

Front 171

contrived

Back 171

"adjective obviously planned or forced; artificial; strained: a contrived story.

Front 172

commensurate

Back 172

adjective 1. having the same measure; of equal extent or duration. 2. corresponding in amount, magnitude, or degree: Your paycheck should be commensurate with the amount of time worked. 3. proportionate; adequate. 4. having a common measure; commensurable.

Front 173

coquettish/dalliance

Back 173

"noun 1. a woman who flirts lightheartedly with men to win their admiration and affection; flirt. verb (used without object) 2. to coquet.

Front 174

peccant

Back 174

adjective 1.sinning; guilty of a moral offense. 2.violating a rule, principle, or established practice; faulty; wrong.

Front 175

desiderata

Back 175

noun something wanted or needed.

Front 176

lambasted

Back 176

verb (used with object), -bast·ed, -bast·ing. Informal . 1.to beat or whip severely. 2.to reprimand or berate harshly; censure; excoriate.

Front 177

diathesis

Back 177

noun, plural -ses  /-ˌsiz/ Show Spelled[-seez] Show IPA. Pathology . a constitutional predisposition or tendency, as to a particular disease or affection.

Front 178

debauch

Back 178

verb (used with object) 1.to corrupt by sensuality, intemperance, etc.; seduce. 2.to corrupt or pervert; sully: His honesty was debauched by the prospect of easy money. 3.Archaic . to lead away, as from allegiance or duty.

Front 179

breath

Back 179

noun 1.the air inhaled and exhaled in respiration. 2.respiration, esp. as necessary to life. 3.life; vitality.

Front 180

despotism/tyranny

Back 180

noun 1.the rule of a despot; the exercise of absolute authority. 2.absolute power or control; tyranny. 3.an absolute or autocratic government.

Front 181

nepotism

Back 181

noun patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business and politics:

Front 182

votary

Back 182

noun Also, vo·ta·rist. 1.a person who is bound by solemn religious vows, as a monk or a nun. 2.an adherent of a religion or cult; a worshiper of a particular deity or sacred personage. 3.a person who is devoted or addicted to some subject or pursuit: a votary of jazz.

Front 183

voluptuous

Back 183

adjective 1.full of, characterized by, or ministering to indulgence in luxury, pleasure, and sensuous enjoyment: a voluptuous life. 2.derived from gratification of the senses: voluptuous pleasure. 3.directed toward or concerned with sensuous enjoyment or sensual pleasure: voluptuous desires.

Front 184

invigorate

Back 184

verb (used with object), -at·ed, -at·ing. to give vigor to; fill with life and energy; energize.

Front 185

ruse

Back 185

noun a trick, stratagem, or artifice.

Front 186

illustrious

Back 186

adjective 1.highly distinguished; renowned; famous: an illustrious leader. 2.glorious, as deeds or works: many illustrious achievements. 3.Obsolete . luminous; bright.

Front 187

ghastly

Back 187

adjective 1.shockingly frightful or dreadful; horrible: a ghastly murder. 2.resembling a ghost, esp. in being very pale: a ghastly look to his face. 3.terrible; very bad: a ghastly error.

Front 188

incorrigible

Back 188

adjective 1.not corrigible; bad beyond correction or reform: incorrigible behavior; an incorrigible liar. 2.impervious to constraints or punishment; willful; unruly; uncontrollable: an incorrigible child; incorrigible hair. 3.firmly fixed; not easily changed: an incorrigible habit.

Front 189

meddle

Back 189

verb (used without object), -dled, -dling. to involve oneself in a matter without right or invitation; interfere officiously and unwantedly: Stop meddling in my personal life!

Front 190

discursive

Back 190

djective 1.passing aimlessly from one subject to another; digressive; rambling. 2.proceeding by reasoning or argument rather than intuition.

Front 191

rigmarole

Back 191

noun 1.an elaborate or complicated procedure: to go through the rigmarole of a formal dinner. 2.confused, incoherent, foolish, or meaningless talk.

Front 192

salacious

Back 192

adjective 1.lustful or lecherous. 2.(of writings, pictures, etc.) obscene; grossly indecent.

Front 193

ignominy/opprobrium

Back 193

noun, plural -min·ies for 1.disgrace; dishonor; public contempt. 2.shameful or dishonorable quality or conduct or an instance of this.

Front 194

amorous

Back 194

adjective 1.inclined or disposed to love, esp. sexual love: an amorous disposition. 2.showing or expressing love: an amorous letter. 3.of or pertaining to love: amorous poetry.

Front 195

ineffable

Back 195

adjective 1.incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible: ineffable joy. 2.not to be spoken because of its sacredness; unutterable: the ineffable name of the deity.

Front 196

jovial

Back 196

adjective 1.endowed with or characterized by a hearty, joyous humor or a spirit of good-fellowship: a wonderfully jovial host. 2.( initial capital letter ) of or pertaining to the god Jove, or Jupiter.

Front 197

insipid/vapid/flat/platitudinous/trite

Back 197

5W adjective 1. without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities; vapid: an insipid personality. 2. without sufficient taste to be pleasing, as food or drink; bland: a rather insipid soup.

Front 198

myriad

Back 198

noun 1. a very great or indefinitely great number of persons or things. 2. ten thousand. –adjective 3. of an indefinitely great number; innumerable: the myriad stars of a summer night

Front 199

moue

Back 199

noun a pouting grimace.

Front 200

imperilled

Back 200

verb to put in peril or danger; endanger

Front 201

cavil

Back 201

–verb 1. to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily (usually fol. by at or about ): He finds something to cavil at in everything I say.

Front 202

quibble

Back 202

"noun 1. an instance of the use of ambiguous, prevaricating, or irrelevant language or arguments to evade a point at issue.

Front 203

demotic

Back 203

"adjective v 1. of or pertaining to the ordinary, everyday, current form of a language; vernacular: a poet with a keen ear for demotic rhythms. 2. of or pertaining to the common people; popular.

Front 204

provocateur

Back 204

"noun 1. a person who provokes trouble, causes dissension, or the like; agitator.

Front 205

erasure

Back 205

–noun 1. an act or instance of erasing. 2. a place where something has been erased; a spot or mark left after erasing: You can't sign a contract with so many erasures in it.

Front 206

educe

Back 206

"verb (used with object), e·duced, e·duc·ing. 1. to draw forth or bring out, as something potential or latent; elicit; develop.

Front 207

derision

Back 207

noun 1. ridicule; mockery: The inept performance elicited derision from the audience. 2. an object of ridicule.

Front 208

propinquity

Back 208

"noun 1. nearness in place; proximity. 2. nearness of relation; kinship. 3. affinity of nature; similarity.

Front 209

attrition/diminution/peter

Back 209

"3W–noun 1. a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength: Our club has had a high rate of attrition because so many members have moved away. 2. a wearing down or weakening of resistance, esp. as a result of continuous pressure or harassment: The enemy surrounded the town and conducted a war of attrition.

Front 210

modicum

Back 210

noun a moderate or small amount: He hasn't even a modicum of common sense.

Front 211

simulacra/effigy

Back 211

noun 1. a slight, unreal, or superficial likeness or semblance. 2. an effigy, image, or representation: a simulacrum of Aphrodite.

Front 212

introjection

Back 212

noun Psychoanalysis . an unconscious psychic process by which a person incorporates into his or her own psychic apparatus the characteristics of another person or object

Front 213

martient

Back 213

–noun 1. a strict disciplinarian, esp. a military one. 2. someone who stubbornly adheres to methods or rules

Front 214

consanguineous

Back 214

adjective having the same ancestry or descent; related by blood.

Front 215

heuristic

Back 215

–adjective 1. serving to indicate or point out; stimulating interest as a means of furthering investigation.2. encouraging a person to learn, discover, understand, or solve problems on his or her own, as by experimenting, evaluating possible answers or solutions, or by trial and error: a heuristic teaching method.

Front 216

crude

Back 216

adjective 1.in a raw or unprepared state; unrefined or natural: crude sugar. 2.lacking in intellectual subtlety, perceptivity, etc.; rudimentary; undeveloped

Front 217

specious

Back 217

–adjective 1.apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible: specious arguments. 2.pleasing to the eye but deceptive

Front 218

saccharine

Back 218

of the nature of or resembling that of sugar: a powdery substance with a saccharine taste

Front 219

effeminate

Back 219

"adjective 1. (of a man or boy) having traits, tastes, habits, etc., traditionally considered feminine, as softness or delicacy. 2. characterized by excessive softness, delicacy, self-indulgence, etc.: effeminate luxury.

Front 220

reticent/taciturnity

Back 220

2Wadjective 1. disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved. 2. reluctant or restrained. reserve

Front 221

enspirit

Back 221

"verb (used with object) to infuse spirit or life into; enliven.

Front 222

nimbus

Back 222

a cloud, aura, atmosphere, etc., surrounding a person or thing: The candidate was encompassed with a nimbus of fame. 2. halo

Front 223

simpatico

Back 223

congenial or like-minded; likable: I find our new neighbor simpatico in every respect

Front 224

cavort

Back 224

verb (used without object) 1. to prance or caper about. 2. to behave in a high-spirited, festive manner; make merry

Front 225

careen/lurch

Back 225

2W verb (used without object) 1. (of a vehicle) to lean, sway, or tip to one side while in motion: The car careened around the corner

Front 226

exultation

Back 226

noun the act of exulting; lively or triumphant joy, as over success or victory

Front 227

stupefy

Back 227

verb 1. to put into a state of little or no sensibility; benumb the faculties of; put into a stupor

Front 228

personage

Back 228

noun 1. a person of distinction or importance

Front 229

implore

Back 229

verb 1. to beg urgently or piteously, as for aid or mercy; beseech; entreat: They implored him to go

Front 230

venal/mercenary

Back 230

2W adjective 1. willing to sell one's influence, esp. in return for a bribe; open to bribery; mercenary: a venal judge

Front 231

pa ri ah

Back 231

noun 1. an outcast. 2. any person or animal that is generally despised or avoided

Front 232

libertine/profligate

Back 232

2W –noun 1. a person who is morally or sexually unrestrained, esp. a dissolute man; a profligate; rake. 2. a freethinker in religious matters

Front 233

embellish

Back 233

"verb (used with object) 1. to beautify by or as if by ornamentation; ornament; adorn. 2. to enhance (a statement or narrative) with fictitious additions.

Front 234

epoch

Back 234

"noun 1. a particular period of time marked by distinctive features, events, etc.: The treaty ushered in an epoch of peace and good will.

Front 235

constitute

Back 235

"verb (used with object), -tut·ed, -tut·ing. 1. to compose; form: mortar constituted of lime and sand. 2. to appoint to an office or function; make or create: He was constituted treasurer.

Front 236

armamentarium

Back 236

noun the aggregate of equipment, methods, and techniques available to one for carrying out one's duties: The stethoscope is still an essential part of the physician's armamentarium

Front 237

issuance

Back 237

–noun 1. the act of issuing

Front 238

turpitude

Back 238

noun 1. vile, shameful, or base character; depravity

Front 239

precipice

Back 239

noun 1. a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face. 2. a situation of great peril: on the precipice of war

Front 240

veritably

Back 240

adjective 1. being truly or very much so: a veritable triumph

Front 241

mores

Back 241

noun Sociology . folkways of central importance accepted without question and embodying the fundamental moral views of a group

Front 242

elucidation

Back 242

verb (used with object) 1. to make lucid or clear; throw light upon; explain: an explanation that elucidated his recent strange behavior

Front 243

antipathy

Back 243

noun1. a natural, basic, or habitual repugnance; aversion

Front 244

generativist/engender(v)/ prolific

Back 244

"3W adjective 1. capable of producing or creating. 2. pertaining to the production of offspring.

Front 245

effrontery

Back 245

noun, plural -ter·ies. 1. shameless or impudent boldness; barefaced audacity: She had the effrontery to ask for two free samples. 2. an act or instance of this

Front 246

impudent

Back 246

impertient

Front 247

petulant

Back 247

"moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, esp. over some trifling annoyance: a petulant toss of the head.

Front 248

fretful

Back 248

verb (used without object) 1. to feel or express worry, annoyance, discontent, or the like: Fretting about the lost ring isn't going to help

Front 249

peevish

Back 249

adjective 1. cross, querulous, or fretful, as from vexation or discontent: a peevish youngster

Front 250

amicable

Back 250

adjective characterized by or showing goodwill; friendly; peaceable: an amicable settlement.

Front 251

carping

Back 251

adjective 1. characterized by fussy or petulant faultfinding; querulous: carping criticism

Front 252

emblem

Back 252

noun 1. an object or its representation, symbolizing a quality, state, class of persons, etc.; symbol: The olive branch is an emblem of peace

Front 253

cogitate

Back 253

–verb (used without object) 1. to think hard; ponder; meditate: to cogitate about a problem

Front 254

doling

Back 254

noun 1. a portion or allotment of money, food, etc., esp. as given at regular intervals by a charity or for maintenance.

Front 255

erstwhile

Back 255

adjective former; of times past: erstwhile friends

Front 256

abject

Back 256

adjective utterly hopeless, miserable, humiliating, or wretched: abject poverty.

Front 257

self-effacing

Back 257

humility

Front 258

unctuous

Back 258

adjective characterized by excessive piousness or moralistic fervor, esp. in an affected manner; excessively smooth, suave, or smug.

Front 259

anonymity

Back 259

the state or quality of being anonymous

Front 260

abrogate

Back 260

verb (used with object) to abolish by formal or official means; annul by an authoritative act; repeal: to abrogate a law

Front 261

antithesis

Back 261

opposition; contrast: the antithesis of right and wrong

Front 262

titillate

Back 262

"verb (used with object), -lat·ed, -lat·ing. 1. to excite or arouse agreeably: to titillate the fancy.

Front 263

proffer

Back 263

to put before a person for acceptance; offer.

Front 264

coterie

Back 264

[koh-tuh-ree] –noun a group of people who associate closely

Front 265

delude

Back 265

verb (used with object) 1. to mislead the mind or judgment of; deceive: His conceit deluded him into believing he was important

Front 266

vitriol

Back 266

something highly caustic or severe in effect, as criticism

Front 267

car-i-ca-ture

Back 267

any imitation or copy so distorted or inferior as to be ludicrous.

Front 268

chauvinistic

Back 268

"shoh-vuh-niz-uhm] noun 1. zealous and aggressive patriotism or blind enthusiasm for military glory. 2. biased devotion to any group, attitude, or cause.

Front 269

mellifluous

Back 269

[muh-lif-loo-uhs] adjective 1. sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding: a mellifluous voice; mellifluous tones

Front 270

sangfroid

Back 270

sahn-frwa] –noun coolness of mind; calmness; composure: They committed the robbery with complete sang-froid

Front 271

vestige

Back 271

noun 1. a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that is no longer present or in existence: A few columns were the last vestiges of a Greek temple

Front 272

miscreant

Back 272

mis-kree-uhnt adjective 1. depraved, villainous, or base

Front 273

endow

Back 273

to provide with a permanent fund or source of income: to endow a college

Front 274

askew

Back 274

adverb 1. to one side; out of line; in a crooked position; awry: to wear one's hat askew; to hang a picture askew

Front 275

awry

Back 275

uh-rahy adverb, adjective 1. with a turn or twist to one side; askew: to glance or look awry.

Front 276

atavist

Back 276

noun 1. Biology a. the reappearance in an individual of characteristics of some remote ancestor that have been absent in intervening generations. 2. reversion to an earlier type; throwback

Front 277

pantomime

Back 277

noun 1. the art or technique of conveying emotions, actions, feelings, etc., by gestures without speech

Front 278

mutiny

Back 278

–noun 1. revolt or rebellion against constituted authority, esp. by sailors against their officers

Front 279

eclectic

Back 279

adjective 1. selecting or choosing from various sources. 2. made up of what is selected from different sources

Front 280

perilous

Back 280

"adjective involving or full of grave risk or peril; hazardous; dangerous: a perilous voyage across the Atlantic in a small boat.

Front 281

parlously

Back 281

pahr-luhs] –adjective 1. perilous; dangerous

Front 282

devolve

Back 282

verb (used with object) 1. to transfer or delegate (a duty, responsibility, etc.) to or upon another; pass on.

Front 283

earmark

Back 283

any identifying or distinguishing mark or characteristic: The mayor's statement had all the earmarks of dirty politics 2. verb (used with object) to set aside for a specific purpose, use, recipient, etc.: to earmark goods for export

Front 284

olio

Back 284

a dish of many ingredients

Front 285

emblazon

Back 285

to depict, as on an escutcheon in heraldry. 2. to decorate with brilliant colors

Front 286

capitulate/assent/acquiesce/succumb/concede/remise/deference/obsequious

Back 286

8W verb (used without object), -lat·ed, -lat·ing. 1. to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms. 2. to give up resistance: He finally capitulated and agreed to do the job my way

Front 287

quandary

Back 287

a state of perplexity or uncertainty, esp. as to what to do; dilemma

Front 288

indubitable

Back 288

that cannot be doubted; patently evident or certain; unquestionable.

Front 289

reveries

Back 289

"noun 1. a state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musing: lost in reverie.

Front 290

perennial

Back 290

adjective 1. lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring: her perennial beauty

Front 291

parcel

Back 291

"noun 1. an object, article, container, or quantity of something wrapped or packed up; small package; bundle.

Front 292

deleterious

Back 292

adjective 1. injurious to health: deleterious gases

Front 293

militating

Back 293

to have a substantial effect; weigh heavily: His prison record militated against him.

Front 294

peremptory

Back 294

adjective 1. leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal; imperative: a peremptory command

Front 295

ambient

Back 295

of the surrounding area or environment: The tape recorder picked up too many ambient noises. The temperature in the display case was 20° lower than the ambient temperature

Front 296

quagmire

Back 296

noun 1. an area of miry or boggy ground whose surface yields under the tread; a bog

Front 297

onerous

Back 297

adjective 1. burdensome, oppressive, or troublesome; causing hardship: onerous duties

Front 298

risible

Back 298

adjective 1. causing or capable of causing laughter; laughable; ludicrous.

Front 299

presage

Back 299

1. a presentiment or foreboding

Front 300

vagaries

Back 300

noun, plural -gar·ies. 1. an unpredictable or erratic action, occurrence, course, or instance: the vagaries of weather; the vagaries of the economic scene

Front 301

heirloom

Back 301

a family possession handed down from generation to generation

Front 302

apparition

Back 302

noun 1. a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, esp. a ghost; a specter or phantom; wraith: a ghostly apparition at midnight

Front 303

enumerate

Back 303

to mention separately as if in counting; name one by one; specify, as in a list: Let me enumerate the many flaws in your hypothesis

Front 304

barrage

Back 304

"an overwhelming quantity or explosion, as of words, blows, or criticisms: a barrage of questions.

Front 305

eerie

Back 305

adjective 1. uncanny, so as to inspire superstitious fear; weird: an eerie midnight howl

Front 306

charlatan

Back 306

–noun a person who pretends or claims to have more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses; quack

Front 307

dilettante

Back 307

"noun 1. a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, esp. in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler.

Front 308

revile

Back 308

verb (used with object) 1. to assail with contemptuous or opprobrious language; address or speak of abusively.

Front 309

bereft

Back 309

–adjective 2. deprived: They are bereft of their senses. He is bereft of all happiness

Front 310

complaisance

Back 310

the quality of being complaisant

Front 311

sine qua non

Back 311

an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential: Her presence was the sine qua non of every social event

Front 312

heinous

Back 312

hateful; odious; abominable; totally reprehensible: a heinous offense

Front 313

indelible

Back 313

"making marks that cannot be erased, removed, or the like: indelible ink.

Front 314

gra·tu·i·tous 

Back 314

[gruh-too-i-tuhs, -tyoo-] –adjective 1. given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge or payment; free; voluntary. 2. being without apparent reason, cause, or justification: a gratuitous insult. 3. Law. given without receiving any return value.

Front 315

per·func·to·ry"

Back 315

"adjective 1. performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial: perfunctory courtesy. 2. lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; indifferent or apathetic: In his lectures he reveals himself to be merely a perfunctory speaker.

Front 316

ped·a·go·gy

Back 316

"noun,plural-gies. 1. the function or work of a teacher; teaching. 2. the art or science of teaching; education; instructional methods.

Front 317

al·le·go·ry"

Back 317

noun,plural-ries. 1. a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another.

Front 318

in·cu·bus

Back 318

noun,plural-bi 1. an imaginary demon or evil spirit supposed to descend upon sleeping persons, esp. one fabled to have sexual intercourse with women during their sleep.Compare succubus (def. 1). 2.a nightmare.

Front 319

vacillation

Back 319

2.a state of indecision or irresolution. 3. unsteady movement; fluctuation.

Front 320

mu·lat·to

Back 320

noun 1. the offspring of one white parent and one black parent: not in technical use.

Front 321

com·mu·nal

Back 321

adjective 1.used or shared in common by everyone in a group: a communal jug of wine.

Front 322

so·dal·i·ty

Back 322

noun,plural-ties. 1.fellowship; comradeship. 2. an association or society.

Front 323

lo·qua·cious

Back 323

adjective 1. talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering; babbling; garrulous: a loquacious dinner guest.

Front 324

la·nu·go

Back 324

"noun,plural-gos. Biology. a coat of delicate, downy hairs, esp. that with which the human fetus or a newborn infant is covered.

Front 325

pu·ni·tive"

Back 325

"adjective serving for, concerned with, or inflicting punishment: punitive laws; punitive action.

Front 326

per·e·gri·na·tion

Back 326

"noun 1. travel from one place to another, esp. on foot. 2. a course of travel; journey.

Front 327

par·si·mo·ni·ous(a)/niggard

Back 327

"[pahr-suh-moh-nee-uhs] –adjective characterized by or showing parsimony; frugal or stingy.

Front 328

er·u·di·tion

Back 328

"[er-yoo-dish-uhn, er-oo-] –noun knowledge acquired by study, research, etc.; learning; scholarship.

Front 329

aus·tere

Back 329

[aw-steer] –adjective 1. severe in manner or appearance; uncompromising; strict; forbidding: an austere teacher. 2. rigorously self-disciplined and severely moral; ascetic; abstinent: the austere quality of life in the convent.

Front 330

ra·pa·cious

Back 330

adjective 1. given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed. 2. inordinately greedy; predatory; extortionate: a rapacious disposition.

Front 331

con·fab·u·late

Back 331

"verb (used without object),-lat·ed, -lat·ing. 1. to converse informally; chat. 2. Psychiatry. to engage in confabulation.

Front 332

aph·o·rism

Back 332

–noun a terse saying embodying a general truth, or astute observation, as “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”

Front 333

col·lude

Back 333

verb (used without object),-lud·ed, -lud·ing. 1. to act together through a secret understanding, esp. with evil or harmful intent.

Front 334

anedotal

Back 334

based on personal observation, case study reports, or random investigations rather than systematic scientific evaluation: anecdotal evidence.

Front 335

in·dig·nant

Back 335

"adjective feeling, characterized by, or expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base: indignant remarks; an indignant expression on his face.

Front 336

litigious

Back 336

inclined to dispute or disagree; argumentative.

Front 337

grim·ace

Back 337

"noun 1. a facial expression, often ugly or contorted, that indicates disapproval, pain, etc.

Front 338

latitudinous

Back 338

"adjective having latitude, scope, range, breadth, etc., esp. of ideas, interests, interpretations, or the like: a Renaissance man of latitudinous outlook.

Front 339

in·noc·u·ous

Back 339

(ĭ-nŏk'yōō-əs) adj. 1. Having no adverse effect; harmless. 2.Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid.

Front 340

re·pub·lic

Back 340

noun 1. a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.

Front 341

feist·y

Back 341

adjective,feist·i·er, feist·i·est. 1.full of animation, energy, or courage; spirited; spunky; plucky: The champion is faced with a feisty challenger.

Front 342

ar·che·type

Back 342

noun 1. the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype.

Front 343

labile

Back 343

apt or likely to change.

Front 344

ego-dystonic/ego-syntonic

Back 344

behavior that do or don't line up with belief

Front 345

provocation

Back 345

act of provoking

Front 346

in·cho·ate

Back 346

adjective 1. not yet completed or fully developed; rudimentary. 2. just begun; incipient.

Front 347

ad·u·late

Back 347

"verb (used with object),-lat·ed, -lat·ing. to show excessive admiration or devotion to; flatter or admire servilely.

Front 348

proclivity

Back 348

"noun,plural-ties. natural or habitual inclination or tendency; propensity; predisposition: a proclivity to meticulousness.

Front 349

mor·ti·fy

Back 349

verb (used with object) 1.to humiliate or shame, as by injury to one's pride or self-respect.

Front 350

bliss

Back 350

noun supreme happiness; utter joy or contentment: wedded bliss. 2. Theology. the joy of heaven.

Front 351

tra·duce/slander

Back 351

"2W verb (used with object),-duced, -duc·ing. to speak maliciously and falsely of; slander; defame: to traduce someone's character.

Front 352

an·cil·lar·y"

Back 352

"adjective 1. subordinate; subsidiary. 2. auxiliary; assisting.

Front 353

per·ni·cious

Back 353

adjective 1. causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful: pernicious teachings; a pernicious lie.

Front 354

in·a·ni·tion

Back 354

"noun 1. exhaustion from lack of nourishment; starvation. 2. lack of vigor; lethargy.

Front 355

a·lac·ri·ty

Back 355

"noun 1. cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness: We accepted the invitation with alacrity. BREAK 2. liveliness; briskness.

Front 356

tor·rent

Back 356

noun 1. a stream of water flowing with great rapidity and violence. 2. a rushing, violent, or abundant and unceasing stream of anything: a torrent of lava.

Front 357

missive

Back 357

"noun 1. a written message; letter.

Front 358

va·grant

Back 358

noun 1. a person who wanders about idly and has no permanent home or employment; vagabond; tramp.

Front 359

trep·i·da·tion

Back 359

"noun 1. tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation; perturbation. 2. trembling or quivering movement; tremor.

Front 360

dep·re·cate

Back 360

verb (used with object),-cat·ed, -cat·ing. 1 .to express earnest disapproval of. 2. to urge reasons against; protest against (a scheme, purpose, etc.).

Front 361

dem·i·god

Back 361

"noun 1. a mythological being who is partly divine and partly human; an inferior deity. 2. a deified mortal.

Front 362

gar·ru·lous

Back 362

"[gar-uh-luhs, gar-yuh-] –adjective 1. excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, esp. about trivial matters. 2. wordy or diffuse: a garrulous and boring speech.

Front 363

for·mi·da·ble

Back 363

adjective 1. causing fear, apprehension, or dread: a formidable opponent. 2. of discouraging or awesome strength, size, difficulty, etc.; intimidating: a formidable problem.

Front 364

in·tran·si·gent/stubborn/obstinate"

Back 364

"3W adjective 1. refusing to agree or compromise; uncompromising; inflexible. –noun 2. a person who refuses to agree or compromise, as in politics.

Front 365

sol·e·cism

Back 365

"noun 1. a nonstandard or ungrammatical usage, as unflammable and they was. 2.a breach of good manners or etiquette. 3. any error, impropriety, or inconsistency.

Front 366

Solace

Back 366

comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble; alleviation of distress or discomfort.

Front 367

qui·e·tus

Back 367

noun,plural-tus·es. 1. a finishing stroke; anything that effectually ends or settles: Having given a quietus to the argument, she left. 2. discharge or release from life. 3. a period of retirement or inactivity.

Front 368

sat·ire

Back 368

noun 1.the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. 2. a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule.

Front 369

fro·ward/contumacious(a)

Back 369

adjective willfully contrary; not easily managed: to be worried about one's froward, intractable child.

Front 370

par·ox·ysm

Back 370

[par-uhk-siz-uhm] –noun 1. any sudden, violent outburst; a fit of violent action or emotion: paroxysms of rage. 2. Pathology. a severe attack or a sudden increase in intensity of a disease, usually recurring periodically.

Front 371

a·poth·e·car·y

Back 371

noun,plural-car·ies. 1. a druggist; a pharmacist.

Front 372

marred/vitiate

Back 372

2W verb (used with object),marred, mar·ring. 1.to damage or spoil to a certain extent; render less perfect, attractive, useful, etc.; impair or spoil: That billboard mars the view. The holiday was marred by bad weather. 2. to disfigure, deface, or scar: The scratch marred the table.

Front 373

so·lic·i·tous

Back 373

adjective 1.anxious or concerned (usually fol. by about, for, etc., or a clause): solicitous about a person's health.

Front 374

e·gre·gious

Back 374

[ih-gree-juhs, -jee-uhs] –adjective 1.extraordinary in some bad way; glaring; flagrant: an egregious mistake; an egregious liar.

Front 375

sche·ma

Back 375

noun,pluralsche·ma·ta  /ˈskimətə or, sometimes, skiˈmɑtə, skɪ-/ Show Spelled[skee-muh-tuh or, sometimes, skee-mah-tuh, ski-] sche·mas. 1. a diagram, plan, or scheme. 2. an underlying organizational pattern or structure; conceptual framework.

Front 376

in·ju·di·cious

Back 376

[in-joo-dish-uhs] –adjective not judicious; showing lack of judgment; unwise; imprudent; indiscreet: an injudicious decision.

Front 377

con·ceit

Back 377

"noun 1. an excessively favorable opinion of one's own ability, importance, wit 2. a fancy; whim; fanciful notion. 3. an elaborate, fanciful metaphor, esp. of a strained or far-fetched nature.

Front 378

Pab·lum 

Back 378

1.Trademark. a brand of soft, bland cereal for infants. –noun 2. (lowercase) trite, naive, or simplistic ideas or writings; intellectual pap.

Front 379

a·byss/chasm/gulf

Back 379

3Wnoun 1. a deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm. 2. anything profound, unfathomable, or infinite: the abyss of time. 3. (in ancient cosmogony) a.the primal chaos before Creation. b. the infernal regions; hell. c.a subterranean ocean.

Front 380

grav·id 

Back 380

adjective pregnant.

Front 381

a·per·i·tive

Back 381

[uh-per-i-tiv] –adjective 1.aperient. 2. having a stimulating effect on the appetite. –noun 3.an aperient. 4. an appetite stimulant.

Front 382

benison

Back 382

[ben-uh-zuhn, -suhn] –noun benediction.

Front 383

an·tiq·ui·ty 

Back 383

[an-tik-wi-tee] –noun,plural-ties. 1. the quality of being ancient; ancientness: a bowl of great antiquity. 2. ancient times; former ages: the splendor of antiquity. 3. the period of history before the Middle Ages. 4. the peoples, nations, tribes, or cultures of ancient times. 5. Usually, antiquities. something belonging to or remaining from ancient times, as monuments, relics, or customs

Front 384

pomp·ous 

Back 384

"[pom-puhs] -Adjective 1. characterized by an ostentatious display of dignity or importance: a pompous minor official. 2. ostentatiously lofty or high-flown: a pompous speech. 3. characterized by pomp, stately splendor, or magnificence.

Front 385

ed·i·fice 

Back 385

[ed-uh-fis] –noun 1. a building, esp. one of large size or imposing appearance. 2. any large, complex system or organization.

Front 386

dudg·eon/affront/umbrage

Back 386

3W [duhj-uhn] –noun a feeling of offense or resentment; anger: We left in high dudgeon.

Front 387

en·thrall 

Back 387

"[en-thrawl] –verb (used with object) 1. to captivate or charm: a performer whose grace, skill, and virtuosity enthrall her audiences. 2. to put or hold in slavery; subjugate: to be enthralled by illusions and superstitions.

Front 388

te·na·cious 

Back 388

[tuh-ney-shuhs] –adjective 1. holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often fol. by of): a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits. 2. highly retentive: a tenacious memory. 3. pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate. 4. adhesive or sticky; viscous or glutinous. 5. holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough.

Front 389

exiguous

Back 389

"–adjective scanty; meager; small; slender: exiguous income.

Front 390

punctilious/rectitude/probity

Back 390

3W [puhngk-til-ee-uhs] adjective extremely attentive to punctilios; strict or exact in the observance of the formalities or amenities of conduct or actions.

Front 391

disputatious

Back 391

–adjective fond of or given to disputation; argumentative; contentious: disputatious litigants.

Front 392

convent

Back 392

"  –noun 1. a community of persons devoted to religious life under a superior. 2. a society or association of monks, friars, or nuns: now usually used of a society of nuns. 3. the building or buildings occupied by such a society; a monastery or nunnery.

Front 393

bricolage

Back 393

" 1. a construction made of whatever materials are at hand; something created from a variety of available things. 2. (in literature) a piece created from diverse resources.

Front 394

idiosyncratic

Back 394

"noun, plural -sies. 1. a characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual. 2. the physical constitution peculiar to an individual.

Front 395

privation

Back 395

"–noun 1. lack of the usual comforts or necessaries of life: His life of privation began to affect his health. 2. an instance of this. 3. the act of depriving.

Front 396

allay/mitigate/anodyne

Back 396

3W –verb (used with object), -layed, -lay·ing. 1. to put (fear, doubt, suspicion, anger, etc.) to rest; calm; quiet. 2. to lessen or relieve; mitigate; alleviate: to allay pain.

Front 397

procession

Back 397

"noun 1. the act of moving along or proceeding in orderly succession or in a formal and ceremonious manner, as a line of people, animals, vehicles, etc. 2. the line or body of persons or things moving along in such a manner.

Front 398

auspicious

Back 398

adjective BREAK 1. promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable: an auspicious occasion. BREAK 2. favored by fortune; prosperous; fortunate.

Front 399

mana

Back 399

–nounAnthropology. a generalized, supernatural force or power, which may be concentrated in objects or persons.

Front 400

tautologous

Back 400

noun, plural -gies. 1. needless repetition of an idea, esp. in words other than those of the immediate context, without imparting additional force or clearness, as in “widow woman.” 2. an instance of such repetition

Front 401

circumlocutory

Back 401

"–noun 1. a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; the use of more words than necessary to express an idea. 2. a roundabout expression.

Front 402

bombastic

Back 402

"adjective (of speech, writing, etc.) high-sounding; high-flown; inflated; pretentious.

Front 403

verbose

Back 403

"adjective characterized by the use of many or too many words; wordy: a verbose report.

Front 404

alexithymia

Back 404

–nounPsychiatry. difficulty in experiencing, expressing, and describing emotional responses

Front 405

squalor

Back 405

"–noun the condition of being squalid; filth and misery.

Front 406

pillory

Back 406

verb (used with object) 2. to set in the pillory. 3. to expose to public derision, ridicule, or abuse: The candidate mercilessly pilloried his opponent

Front 407

salutary

Back 407

"–adjective 1. favorable to or promoting health; healthful. 2. promoting or conducive to some beneficial purpose; wholesome.

Front 408

earnest

Back 408

–adjective 1. serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous: an earnest worker. 2. showing depth and sincerity of feeling: earnest words; an earnest entreaty. 3. seriously important; demanding or receiving serious attention. –noun 4. full seriousness, as of intention or purpose: to speak in earnest.

Front 409

heed

Back 409

"verb (used with object) and noun 1. to give careful attention to: He did not heed the warning.

Front 410

clarion

Back 410

"adjective 1. clear and shrill: the clarion call of a battle trumpet.

Front 411

trenchant

Back 411

–adjective 1. incisive or keen, as language or a person; caustic; cutting: trenchant wit. 2. vigorous; effective; energetic: a trenchant policy of political reform. 3. clearly or sharply defined; clear-cut; distinct.

Front 412

raucous

Back 412

–adjective 1. harsh; strident; grating: raucous voices; raucous laughter. 2. rowdy; disorderly: a raucous party.

Front 413

compendium

Back 413

"–noun, plural -di·ums 1. a brief treatment or account of a subject, esp. an extensive subject; concise treatise: a compendium of medicine. 2. a summary, epitome, or abridgment.

Front 414

succumb

Back 414

verb (used without object) 1. to give way to superior force; yield: to succumb to despair

Front 415

brothel

Back 415

–noun a house of prostitution

Front 416

putrescent/putrid

Back 416

–adjective 1. becoming putrid; undergoing putrefaction. 2. of or pertaining to putrefaction.

Front 417

confaternity

Back 417

"–noun, plural -ties. 1. a lay brotherhood devoted to some purpose, esp. to religious or charitable service. 2. a society or organization, esp. of men, united for some purpose or in some profession.

Front 418

benefaction

Back 418

"noun 1. an act of conferring a benefit; the doing of good; a good deed: He is known throughout the region for his many benefactions. 2. the benefit conferred; charitable donation: to solicit benefactions for earthquake victims.

Front 419

conversely

Back 419

"–adjective 1. opposite or contrary in direction, action, sequence, etc.; turned around. –noun 2. something opposite or contrary.

Front 420

platitude

Back 420

–noun 1. a flat, dull, or trite remark, esp. one uttered as if it were fresh or profound. 2. the quality or state of being flat, dull, or trite: the platitude of most political oratory.

Front 421

recrudescence

Back 421

–noun breaking out afresh or into renewed activity; revival or reappearance in active existence.

Front 422

opprobrious

Back 422

–adjective 1. conveying or expressing opprobrium, as language or a speaker: opprobrious invectives. 2. outrageously disgraceful or shameful: opprobrious conduct

Front 423

adroit/deft/nimble/adept

Back 423

4W –adjective 1. expert or nimble in the use of the hands or body. 2. cleverly skillful, resourceful, or ingenious: an adroit debater

Front 424

harried

Back 424

"–verb (used with object) 1. to harass, annoy, or prove a nuisance to by or as if by repeated attacks; worry: He was harried by constant doubts. 2. to ravage, as in war; devastate: The troops harried the countryside.

Front 425

contumelious

Back 425

–noun, plural -lies. 1. insulting display of contempt in words or actions; contemptuous or humiliating treatment. 2. a humiliating insult.

Front 426

supercilious

Back 426

–adjective arrogant, stuck-up; condescending; cocky

Front 427

contemptuous

Back 427

–adjective showing or expressing contempt or disdain; scornful

Front 428

prowess

Back 428

–noun 1. exceptional valor, bravery, or ability, esp. in combat or battle. 2. exceptional or superior ability, skill, or strength: his prowess as a public speaker

Front 429

mussitate

Back 429

–verb (used without object), -tat·ed, -tat·ing. Obsolete . to mutter; mumble

Front 430

importunate

Back 430

–adjective 1. urgent or persistent in solicitation, sometimes annoyingly so. 2. pertinacious, as solicitations or demands

Front 431

luciferous

Back 431

adjective 1. bringing or providing light. 2. providing insight or enlightenment.

Front 432

lucifugous

Back 432

" adj avoiding light

Front 433

nihilism

Back 433

–noun 1. total rejection of established laws and institutions. 2. anarchy, terrorism, or other revolutionary activity.

Front 434

merriment/gaiety/hilarity/mirth

Back 434

4W noun 1. cheerful or joyful gaiety; mirth; hilarity; laughter. 2. Obsolete . a cause of mirth; a jest, entertainment,

Front 435

congeal

Back 435

verb (used with object), verb (used without object) 1. to change from a soft or fluid state to a rigid or solid state, as by cooling or freezing: The fat congealed on the top of the soup. 2. to curdle; coagulate, as a fluid

Front 436

malady

Back 436

noun, plural -dies. 1. any disorder or disease of the body, esp. one that is chronic or deepseated. 2. any undesirable or disordered condition: social maladies; a malady of the spirit.

Front 437

recidivist

Back 437

noun 1. repeated or habitual relapse, as into crime.

Front 438

massagist

Back 438

Slang . to treat with special care and attention; coddle or pamper: The store massages its regular customers with gifts and private sales. 5. Informal . a. to manipulate, maneuver, or handle skillfully: to massage a bill through the Senate

Front 439

ameliorate

Back 439

"–verb (used with object), verb (used without object), -rat·ed, -rat·ing. to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve; meliorate.

Front 440

diaphanous

Back 440

"adjective 1. very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or translucent. 2. delicately hazy.

Front 441

booty

Back 441

–noun, plural -ties. 1. spoil taken from an enemy in war; plunder; pillage. 2. something that is seized by violence and robbery.

Front 442

injunction

Back 442

noun 1. Law . a judicial process or order requiring the person or persons to whom it is directed to do a particular act or to refrain from doing a particular act. 2. an act or instance of enjoining.

Front 443

itinerant

Back 443

adjective 1. traveling from place to place, esp. on a circuit, as a minister, judge, or sales representative; itinerating; journeying. 2. characterized by such traveling: itinerant preaching

Front 444

ambrosian/palatable

Back 444

adjective 1. exceptionally pleasing to taste or smell; especially delicious or fragrant. 2. worthy of the gods; divine

Front 445

imago

Back 445

" an adult sexually mature insect produced after metamorphosis 2. psychoanal an idealized image of another person, usually a parent, acquired in childhood and carried in the unconscious in later life

Front 446

cartesian

Back 446

–adjective 1. of or pertaining to Descartes, or his philosophy, esp. with regard to its emphasis on logical analysis and its mechanistic interpretation of physical nature

Front 447

emend/amend

Back 447

"2W –verb (used with object) 1. to edit or change (a text). 2. to free from faults or errors; correct.

Front 448

dilapidated

Back 448

adjective reduced to or fallen into partial ruin or decay, as from age, wear, or neglect.

Front 449

errant/inerrant

Back 449

–adjective 1. deviating from the regular or proper course; erring; straying. 2. journeying or traveling, as a medieval knight in quest of adventure; roving adventurously

Front 450

equanimity

Back 450

–noun mental or emotional stability or composure, esp. under tension or strain; calmness; equilibrium.

Front 451

undulate

Back 451

–verb (used without object) 1. to move with a sinuous or wavelike motion; display a smooth rising-and-falling or side-to-side alternation of movement: The flag undulates in the breeze. 2. to have a wavy form or surface; bend with successive curves in alternate directions

Front 452

repungance/abhorrence/antipathy

Back 452

3W noun 1. the state of being repugnant. 2. strong distaste, aversion, or objection; antipathy. 3. contradictoriness or inconsistency

Front 453

jactation/popinjay/supercilious

Back 453

–noun 1. boasting; bragging. 2. Pathology . a restless tossing of the body

Front 454

conglomerate/amalgam/heterogenous/olio

Back 454

"4W noun 1. anything composed of heterogeneous materials or elements. 2. a corporation consisting of a number of subsidiary companies or divisions in a variety of unrelated industries, usually as a result of merger or acquisition.

Front 455

endearing

Back 455

–adjective 1. tending to make dear or beloved. 2. manifesting or evoking affection: an endearing smile.

Front 456

spurious

Back 456

"adjective 1. not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit. 2. Biology . (of two or more parts, plants, etc.) having a similar appearance but a different structure.

Front 457

anecdote

Back 457

"noun a short account of a particular incident or event of an interesting or amusing nature, often biographical.

Front 458

tittle

Back 458

noun 1. a dot or other small mark in writing or printing, used as a diacritic, punctuation, etc. 2. a very small part or quantity; a particle, jot, or whit: He said he didn't care a tittle.

Front 459

quandary

Back 459

noun, plural -ries. a state of perplexity or uncertainty, esp. as to what to do; dilemma

Front 460

connate/innate

Back 460

2W adjective 1. existing in a person or thing from birth or origin; inborn: a connate sense of right and wrong. 2. associated in birth or origin. 3. allied or agreeing in nature; cognate.

Front 461

cachinnate

Back 461

verb (used without object), -nat·ed, -nat·ing. to laugh loudly or immoderately

Front 462

purlieu

Back 462

–noun 1. purlieus, environs or neighborhood. 2. a place where one may range at large; confines or bounds. 3. a person's haunt or resort. 4. an outlying district or region, as of a town or city.

Front 463

conjure

Back 463

"–verb (used with object) 1. to affect or influence by or as if by invocation or spell. 2. to effect, produce, bring, etc., by or as by magic: to conjure a miracle. 3. to call upon or command (a devil or spirit) by invocation or spell.

Front 464

tumescence

Back 464

adjective 1. swelling; slightly tumid. 2. exhibiting or affected with many ideas or emotions; teeming. 3. pompous and pretentious, esp. in the use of language; bombastic.

Front 465

fallacious

Back 465

"–adjective 1. containing a fallacy; logically unsound: fallacious arguments. 2. deceptive; misleading: fallacious testimony.

Front 466

variance

Back 466

noun 1. the state, quality, or fact of being variable, divergent, different, or anomalous. 2. an instance of varying; difference; discrepancy.

Front 467

quarantine

Back 467

–noun 1. a strict isolation imposed to prevent the spread of disease.

Front 468

equable

Back 468

–adjective 1. free from many changes or variations; uniform: an equable climate; an equable temperament. 2. uniform in operation or effect, as laws.

Front 469

insouciance/nonchalant

Back 469

2W –noun the quality of being insouciant; lack of care or concern; indifference; easygoing

Front 470

distrain

Back 470

–verb (used with object) 1. to constrain by seizing and holding goods, etc., in pledge for rent, damages, etc., or in order to obtain satisfaction of a claim. 2. to levy a distress upon.

Front 471

impeccable

Back 471

–adjective 1. faultless; flawless; irreproachable: impeccable manners. 2. not liable to sin; incapable of sin

Front 472

monastic

Back 472

adjective of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a secluded, dedicated, or austere manner of living. noun 4. a member of a monastic community or order, esp. a monk

Front 473

hue

Back 473

"–noun 1. a gradation or variety of a color; tint: pale hues. 2. the property of light by which the color of an object is classified as red, blue, green, or yellow in reference to the spectrum.

Front 474

inception

Back 474

"–noun 1. beginning; start; commencement.

Front 475

sophistry

Back 475

noun, plural -ries. 1. a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning. 2. a false argument; sophism

Front 476

casuistry

Back 476

"— n , pl -ries 1. philosophy the resolution of particular moral dilemmas, esp those arising from conflicting general moral rules, by careful distinction of the cases to which these rules apply 2. reasoning that is specious, misleading, or oversubtle

Front 477

resurgence

Back 477

–adjective rising or tending to rise again; reviving; renascent

Front 478

carousal/revelry

Back 478

2W –noun a noisy or drunken feast or social gathering; revelry

Front 479

creed

Back 479

noun 1. any system, doctrine, or formula of religious belief, as of a denomination. 2. any system or codification of belief or of opinion.

Front 480

impedimenta

Back 480

plural noun baggage or other things that retard one's progress, as supplies carried by an army: the impedimenta of the weekend skier.

Front 481

suffusion

Back 481

"verb (used with object), -fused, -fus·ing. to overspread with or as with a liquid, color, etcpervade, diffuse, bathe, flood.

Front 482

squelch

Back 482

–verb (used with object) 1. to strike or press with crushing force; crush down; squash. 2. to put down, suppress, or silence, as with a crushing retort or argument.

Front 483

vespertine

Back 483

"adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or occurring in the evening: vespertine stillness. 2. Botany . opening or expanding in the evening, as certain flowers.

Front 484

vituperate

Back 484

—Synonyms censure, vilify, berate

Front 485

agnosia

Back 485

"n loss or diminution of the ability to recognize familiar objects or stimuli usually as a result of brain damage see visual agnosia

Front 486

proffer

Back 486

Synonyms proffering 1. volunteer, propose, sugges tverb (used with object) 1. to put before a person for acceptance

Front 487

janus

Back 487

" n the Roman god of doorways, passages, and bridges. In art he is depicted with two heads facing opposite ways

Front 488

hunky dory

Back 488

"fine; okay. : As a matter of fact, everything is just hunky-dory.

Front 489

commensurate

Back 489

"–adjective 1. having the same measure; of equal extent or duration. 3. proportionate; adequate.

Front 490

exculpatory/absolve/exonerate/emend

Back 490

4W adjective tending to clear from a charge of fault or guilt.

Front 491

quixotical

Back 491

extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.

Front 492

consternate

Back 492

" vb ( tr; usually passive ) to fill with anxiety, dismay, dread, or confusion

Front 493

haptic/palpate

Back 493

Function: adj 1 : relating to or based on the sense of touch haptic mode of perception — Colin Gordon > 2 : characterized by a predilection for the sense of touch haptic person>

Front 494

insurgent/mutiny/revolt/coo day tah

Back 494

"4W rebellious, revolutionary, mutinous.

Front 495

grotesque

Back 495

odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character; fantastically ugly or absurd; bizarre

Front 496

amok

Back 496

" n 1. a state of murderous frenzy, originally observed among Malays adj 2. run amok to run about with or as if with a frenzied desire to kill

Front 497

remiss

Back 497

–adjective 1. negligent, careless, or slow in performing one's duty, business, etc.: He's terribly remiss in his work. 2. characterized by negligence or carelessness. 3. lacking force or energy; languid; sluggish

Front 498

oleaginous

Back 498

"— adj resembling or having the properties of oil 2. containing or producing oil

Front 499

threnody

Back 499

noun, plural -dies. a poem, speech, or song of lamentation, esp. for the dead; dirge; funeral song.

Front 500

rectitude.

Back 500

"noun 1. rightness of principle or conduct; moral virtue: the rectitude of her motives. 2. correctness: rectitude of judgment.

Front 501

dowries

Back 501

–noun, plural -ries. 1. Also, dower. the money, goods, or estate that a wife brings to her husband at marriage.

Front 502

misogynist

Back 502

–noun hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women

Front 503

emissaries

Back 503

noun 1. a representative sent on a mission or errand: emissaries to negotiate a peace. 2. an agent sent on a mission of a secret nature, as a spy.

Front 504

syncopate

Back 504

–verb (used with object), -pat·ed, -pat·ing. BREAK 1. Music a. to place (the accents) on beats that are normally unaccented

Front 505

intimation

Back 505

verb (used with object), -mat·ed, -mat·ing BREAK 1. to indicate or make known indirectly; hint; imply; suggest

Front 506

ingenuity

Back 506

noun, plural -ties 1. the quality of being cleverly inventive or resourceful; inventiveness: a designer of great ingenuity

Front 507

plucky

Back 507

adjective, pluck·i·er, pluck·i·est. having or showing pluck or courage; brave: The drowning swimmer was rescued by a plucky schoolboy.

Front 508

eidetic

Back 508

"adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or constituting visual imagery vividly experienced and readily reproducible with great accuracy and in great detail.

Front 509

equity

Back 509

"–noun,plural-ties 1.the quality of being fair or impartial; fairness; impartiality: the equity of Solomon. 2.something that is fair and just.

Front 510

praxis

Back 510

noun practice, as distinguished from theory; application or use, as of knowledge or skills 2. convention, habit, or custom.

Front 511

envisage

Back 511

–verb (used with object), -aged, -ag·ing to contemplate; visualize: He envisages an era of great scientific discoveries

Front 512

taradiddle

Back 512

noun Informal 1. a small lie; fib 2. pretentious nonsense

Front 513

leniency

Back 513

noun, plural -cies. 1. the quality or state of being lenient. 2. a lenient act

Front 514

querulous/peevish/petulant

Back 514

"3W –adjective 1. full of complaints; complaining. 2. characterized by or uttered in complaint; peevish: a querulous tone; constant querulous reminders of things to be done.

Front 515

demagogue

Back 515

"noun 1. a person, esp. an orator or political leader, who gains power and popularity by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people. verb 3. to treat or manipulate (a political issue) in the manner of a demagogue; obscure or distort with emotionalism, prejudice, etc.

Front 516

superfluous

Back 516

adjective 1. being more than is sufficient or required; excessive. 2. unnecessary or needless

Front 517

loquacity/garrulity

Back 517

"2W –noun, plural -ties. 1. the state of being loquacious; talkativeness; garrulity.

Front 518

inexorable

Back 518

"–adjective 1. unyielding; unalterable: inexorable truth; inexorable justice. 2. not to be persuaded, moved, or affected by prayers or entreaties: an inexorable creditor.

Front 519

pertinacious

Back 519

–adjective 1. holding tenaciously to a purpose, course of action, or opinion; resolute. 2. stubborn or obstinate

Front 520

resolute

Back 520

"adjective 1. firmly resolved or determined; set in purpose or opinion. 2. characterized by firmness and determination, as the temper, spirit, actions, etc.

Front 521

machismo

Back 521

adjective 1. firmly resolved or determined; set in purpose or opinion. 2. characterized by firmness and determination, as the temper, spirit, actions, etc

Front 522

bastion

Back 522

"noun 1. Fortification . a projecting portion of a rampart or fortification that forms an irregular pentagon attached at the base to the main work. 2. a fortified place.

Front 523

quintessential

Back 523

noun 1. the pure and concentrated essence of a substance. 2. the most perfect embodiment of something

Front 524

vis a vis

Back 524

adverb 1. face to face: They SAT vis-à-vis at the table. –adjective 2. face-to-face: a vis-à-vis encounter.

Front 525

suasion

Back 525

noun 1. the act of advising, urging, or attempting to persuade; persuasion. 2. an instance of this; a persuasive effort.

Front 526

epitaph

Back 526

noun 1. a commemorative inscription on a tomb or mortuary monument about the person buried at that site. 2. a brief poem or other writing in praise of a deceased person.

Front 527

matriculate

Back 527

"verb (used with object) 1. to enroll in a college or university as a candidate for a degree.

Front 528

peonage

Back 528

noun 1. the condition or service of a peon. 2. the practice of holding persons in servitude or partial slavery, as to work off a debt or to serve a penal sentence.

Front 529

cogent

Back 529

adjective 1. convincing or believable by virtue of forcible, clear, or incisive presentation; telling. 2. to the point; relevant; pertinent

Front 530

obfuscate/bemuse/befuddle/stupegy

Back 530

"4W –verb (used with object), -cat·ed, -cat·ing. 1. to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy. 2. to make obscure or unclear: to obfuscate a problem with extraneous information.

Front 531

muliebrity

Back 531

"noun 1. womanly nature or qualities. 2. womanhood.

Front 532

repute

Back 532

noun 1. estimation in the view of others; reputation: persons of good repute. 2. favorable reputation; good name; public respect

Front 533

vamoose

Back 533

verb (used without object) 1. to leave hurriedly or quickly; decamp.

Front 534

foraging

Back 534

noun 1. the acquisition of food by hunting, fishing, or the gathering of plant matter.

Front 535

hysteria

Back 535

–noun 1. an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear, often characterized by irrationality, laughter, weeping, etc

Front 536

lurch

Back 536

"–noun 1. an act or instance of swaying abruptly. 2. a sudden tip or roll to one side, as of a ship or a staggering person.

Front 537

loath

Back 537

adjective unwilling; reluctant; disinclined; averse: to be loath to admit a mistake.

Front 538

aberrant

Back 538

–adjective 1. departing from the right, normal, or usual course. 2. deviating from the ordinary, usual, or normal type; exceptional; abnormal

Front 539

inundation/suffusion

Back 539

2W verb (used with object), -dat·ed, -dat·ing. 1. to flood; cover or overspread with water; deluge. 2. to overwhelm: inundated with letters of protest

Front 540

primeval

Back 540

–adjective of or pertaining to the first age or ages, esp. of the world: primeval forms of life

Front 541

metonymy

Back 541

–noun Rhetoric a figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part, as “scepter” for “sovereignty,” or “the bottle” for “strong drink,” or “count heads (or noses)” for “count people.”

Front 542

sesquipedalianism

Back 542

given to using long words. 2. (of a word) containing many syllables

Front 543

idiom

Back 543

noun 1. an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics. 2. a language, dialect, or style of speaking peculiar to a people

Front 544

doula

Back 544

noun a woman who assists women during labor and after childbirth.

Front 545

valetudinarian/solicitious

Back 545

noun 1. an invalid. 2. a person who is excessively concerned about his or her poor health or ailments. –adjective 3. in poor health; sickly; invalid. 4. excessively concerned about one's poor health or ailments

Front 546

askesis

Back 546

–noun, plural strict self-discipline or self-control, as for religious or meditative purposes.

Front 547

moil/toil

Back 547

"verb (used without object) 1. to work hard; drudge. 2. to whirl or churn ceaselessly; twist; eddy. –verb (used with object) –noun 4. hard work or drudgery.

Front 548

innominate

Back 548

adjective having no name; nameless; anonymous.

Front 549

nidus

Back 549

"noun, plural 1. a nest, esp. one in which insects, spiders, etc., deposit their eggs.

Front 550

efficacious

Back 550

adjective capable of having the desired result or effect; effective as a means, measure, remedy, etc.: The medicine is efficacious in stopping a cough.

Front 551

disportsport

Back 551

"verb (used with object) 1. to divert or amuse (oneself). 2. to display (oneself) in a sportive manner: The picnickers disported themselves merrily on the beach.

Front 552

solipsist/solipsismal

Back 552

–noun 1. Philosophy . the theory that only the self exists, or can be proved to exist. 2. extreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one's feelings, desires, etc.; egoistic self-absorption

Front 553

oneiric

Back 553

adjective of or pertaining to dreams.

Front 554

inculcation

Back 554

verb (used with object), -cat·ed, -cat·ing. 1. to implant by repeated statement or admonition; teach persistently and earnestly (usually fol. by upon or in ): to inculcate virtue in the young. 2. to cause or influence (someone) to accept an idea or feeling (usually fol. by with ): Socrates inculcated his pupils with the love of truth.

Front 555

dishabille

Back 555

noun 1. the state of being dressed in a careless, disheveled, or disorderly style or manner; undress. 2. a garment worn in undress

Front 556

impervious

Back 556

"adjective 1. not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable: The coat is impervious to rain. 2. incapable of being injured or impaired: impervious to wear and tear.

Front 557

esthetic

Back 557

adjective 1. pertaining to a sense of the beautiful or to the science of aesthetics. 2. having a sense of the beautiful; characterized by a love of beauty. 3. pertaining to, involving, or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality. –noun 4. a philosophical theory or idea of what is aesthetically valid at a given time and place: the clean lines, bare surfaces, and sense of space that bespeak the machine-age aesthetic

Front 558

interlard

Back 558

–verb (used with object) 1. to diversify by adding or interjecting something unique, striking, or contrasting (usually fol. by with ): to interlard one's speech with oaths. 2. (of things) to be intermixed in

Front 559

manumit

Back 559

–verb (used with object), -mit·ted, -mit·ting. to release from slavery or servitude.

Front 560

extirpation

Back 560

verb (used with object), -pat·ed, -pat·ing. 1. to remove or destroy totally; do away with; exterminate. 2. to pull up by or as if by the roots; root up: to extirpate an unwanted hair

Front 561

occult/numious

Back 561

adjective 1. of or pertaining to magic, astrology, or any system claiming use or knowledge of secret or supernatural powers or agencies. 2. beyond the range of ordinary knowledge or understanding; mysterious.

Front 562

prose

Back 562

"–noun 1. the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse. 2. matter-of-fact, commonplace, or dull expression, quality, discourse, etc.

Front 563

bedizen

Back 563

–verb (used with object) to dress or adorn in a showy, gaudy, or tasteless manner.

Front 564

sybaritic

Back 564

adjective 1. ( usually lowercase ) pertaining to or characteristic of a sybarite; characterized by or loving luxury or sensuous pleasure: to wallow in sybaritic splendor. 2. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Sybaris or its inhabitants.

Front 565

farcical

Back 565

adjective 1. pertaining to or of the nature of farce. 2. resembling farce; ludicrous; absurd.

Front 566

incendiarism

Back 566

–noun 1. the act or practice of an arsonist; malicious burning. 2. inflammatory behavior; agitation

Front 567

conflagration

Back 567

–noun a destructive fire, usually an extensive one

Front 568

superlative

Back 568

–adjective 1. of the highest kind, quality, or order; surpassing all else or others; supreme; extreme: superlative wisdom. BREAK 2. Grammar . of, pertaining to, or noting the highest degree of the comparison of adjectives and adverbs, as smallest, best, and most carefully, the superlative forms of small, good,

Front 569

victual

Back 569

–noun 1. victuals, food supplies; provisions. 2. food or provisions for human beings

Front 570

acclamation

Back 570

–noun 1. a loud shout or other demonstration of welcome, goodwill, or approval. 2. act of acclaiming

Front 571

precedence

Back 571

"–noun 1. act or fact of preceding. 2. the right to precede in order, rank, or importance; priority. 3. the fact of preceding in time; antedating.

Front 572

prognosticate

Back 572

–verb (used with object) 1. to forecast or predict (something future) from present indications or signs; prophesy. 2. to foretoken; presage: birds prognosticating spring

Front 573

popinjay

Back 573

"noun 1. a person given to vain, pretentious displays and empty chatter; coxcomb; fop.

Front 574

embarkation

Back 574

–noun the act, process, or an instance of embarking

Front 575

unprecedent

Back 575

adjective without previous instance; never before known or experienced; unexampled or unparalleled: an unprecedented event.

Front 576

tumult

Back 576

–noun 1. violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar: The tumult reached its height during the premier's speech

Front 577

oddities

Back 577

"–noun 1. an odd or remarkably unusual person, thing, or event. 2. the quality of being odd; singularity, strangeness, or eccentricity.

Front 579

par·a·digm

Back 579

"[par-uh-dahym, -dim] –noun 1. Grammar. a. a set of forms all of which contain a particular element, esp. the set of all inflected forms based on a single stem or theme. b. a display in fixed arrangement of such a set, as boy, boy's, boys, boys'. 2. an example serving as a model; pattern.

Front 580

esoteric

Back 580

mysterious or secret

Front 581

edict

Back 581

proclamation have the force of law

Front 582

tirade

Back 582

protracted speech marked by intemperate or harshly conscious language

Front 583

conspicuous

Back 583

obvious to the eye or mind

Front 584

dissonance

Back 584

inconsistency b/w belief and action

Front 585

extort

Back 585

obtain from a person by force

Front 586

maraud

Back 586

to roam abort and raid in search of plunder

Front 587

cordial

Back 587

warmly welcome

Front 588

cryptic

Back 588

secret conceal mysterious

Front 589

primitive

Back 589

character tic of earlier stage of development

Front 590

dubious

Back 590

uncertain or questionable

Front 591

sequester

Back 591

to seize

Front 592

colassal

Back 592

exceptional or astonishing degree

Front 593

chide

Back 593

to speak out in anger or displeased rebuke

Front 594

convalesce

Back 594

recover healthy strength gradually after sickness or weakness

Front 595

penance

Back 595

show sorrow or repentance for sin

Front 596

futility

Back 596

useless

Front 597

didactic

Back 597

designed or intended to teach

Front 598

imminent

Back 598

hanging threateningly over ones head

Front 599

cosmic

Back 599

relating to the universe

Front 600

immutable

Back 600

no change

Front 601

fulminant

Back 601

coming on suddenly or w/ great severity

Front 602

propriety

Back 602

conforming socital norms

Front 603

plaudif

Back 603

act of applause

Front 604

predilection

Back 604

established preference

Front 605

repudiate

Back 605

refusal to accept

Front 606

abate

Back 606

put and end to

Front 607

orator

Back 607

one distinguished for skill and power as a public speaker

Front 608

rhetoric

Back 608

art of speaking or writing effectively

Front 609

nadir

Back 609

lowest point

Front 610

epithet

Back 610

characterizing often abusive word or phrase

Front 611

equivocal

Back 611

ambiguous or uncertain

Front 612

unequivocal

Back 612

w/o doubt

Front 613

conflate/confluent

Back 613

bring together or join

Front 614

refractory

Back 614

resistant

Front 615

lingo

Back 615

strange or incomprehensible language or speech

Front 616

contemporary

Back 616

occurring or existing at the same time or of same age

Front 617

innuendoes

Back 617

insinuation

Front 618

salient

Back 618

moving by leaps or springs

Front 619

deficon

Back 619

5 levels of US military ready to respond to perceived threat

Front 620

emulate

Back 620

strive to equal or excel

Front 621

avert

Back 621

avoid

Front 622

propaganda

Back 622

spreading of idea info or rumor for purpose of helping or injuring an institution or person

Front 623

exasperation

Back 623

thoroughly annoy

Front 624

paean

Back 624

song of praise

Front 625

plunder

Back 625

take fy force

Front 626

exuberance

Back 626

joyously unrestrained

Front 627

profligacy

Back 627

shamelessly immoral

Front 628

nostalgia

Back 628

state of being homesick

Front 629

fastidious

Back 629

difficult to please

Front 630

tyranny

Back 630

oppressive power

Front 631

intuit

Back 631

quick and ready insight

Front 632

underscore

Back 632

make evident w/ emphasis

Front 633

motif

Back 633

dominant idea or central theme

Front 634

lucid

Back 634

mentally sound

Front 635

apathy

Back 635

lack of emotion or interest

Front 636

subvert

Back 636

overthrow or ruin

Front 637

aloof

Back 637

indifferent or reserved

Front 638

renaissance

Back 638

rebirth or revival

Front 639

euphoria

Back 639

elation filled w/ joy

Front 640

diction

Back 640

choice of words w/ regard to correctness clearness or effectiveness

Front 641

relegate

Back 641

move to less prominent position

Front 642

invoke

Back 642

petition for help or support

Front 643

martyr

Back 643

person who sacrifice something of great value (life) for the sake of principle

Front 644

assail

Back 644

attack violently w/ blows or words

Front 645

hubris

Back 645

exaggerated pride or self confidence

Front 646

morass

Back 646

situation that traps confuses or impedes

Front 647

hasten

Back 647

urge on

Front 648

ascertain

Back 648

make certain exact or precise

Front 649

palliative

Back 649

reduce the violence of disease

Front 650

shama

Back 650

priest that use magic for purpose of healing the sick

Front 651

beneficence

Back 651

quality of doing good

Front 652

regime

Back 652

rule of management or form of government

Front 653

cynosure

Back 653

center of attraction

Front 654

narcissism

Back 654

pathological self love

Front 655

laudable

Back 655

worthy of praise

Front 656

acquiesce

Back 656

to accept comply or submit

Front 657

enunciate

Back 657

make a definite or systematic statement or articulate sounds

Front 658

codify

Back 658

reduce to a code

Front 659

prodigy

Back 659

extraordinary person or thing

Front 660

foreboding

Back 660

premonition of disaster

Front 661

emulate

Back 661

try to equal or excel

Front 662

hedonistic

Back 662

way of life devoted to pleasure

Front 663

paradox

Back 663

statement or phrase that is contradictory

Front 664

platonic

Back 664

friendly nonsexual relationship

Front 665

enigma

Back 665

puzzle or mystery

Front 666

ambivalence

Back 666

simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feeling

Front 667

panoramic

Back 667

view in all direction

Front 668

stupor

Back 668

extreme apathy condition of dull sense or sensibility

Front 669

prodrome

Back 669

premonitory symptoms of disease

Front 670

egregious

Back 670

notably bad

Front 671

dissuade

Back 671

advise against something

Front 672

sentient

Back 672

responsive to or conscious of sense impression

Front 673

colloquial

Back 673

informal conversation

Front 674

vernacular

Back 674

using a language or dialect native to a region or country

Front 675

relegate

Back 675

send into exile

Front 676

cynic

Back 676

attribute action to selfish motive

Front 677

evocative

Back 677

evoking an emotional response

Front 678

vigil

Back 678

act or period of watching or surveillance

Front 679

aristocrat

Back 679

upper class

Front 680

protégé

Back 680

one under the care and protection of an influential person

Front 681

coercion

Back 681

forced to do something

Front 682

tranquility

Back 682

quiet and undistorted

Front 683

tenacity

Back 683

strong courage

Front 684

prototype

Back 684

original model on which something is patterned or individual that exhibits the essential features of a later type

Front 685

façade

Back 685

principle face of building

Front 686

askance

Back 686

w/ a side glance

Front 687

serene

Back 687

tranquil

Front 688

utopia

Back 688

place of ideal perfection

Front 689

futility

Back 689

useless act or gesture

Front 690

empirical based on observation

Front 691

altruism

Back 691

concern for others

Front 692

tropism

Back 692

invol response to a stimulus in that direction

Front 693

herald

Back 693

convey news or proclaim

Front 694

contagion

Back 694

disease spread by contact

Front 695

temperament

Back 695

mode of emotional response

Front 696

conundrum

Back 696

intricate and difficult problem

Front 697

beacon

Back 697

lighthouse or signal for guidance

Front 699

eschew

Back 699

[es-choo] –verb to abstain or keep away from; shun; avoid: to eschew evil

Front 700

assiduous

Back 700

[uh-sij-oo-uhs] –adjective 1. constant; unremitting: assiduous reading. 2. constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task; persevering; industrious; attentive: an assiduous student.

Front 701

pecuniary

Back 701

[pi-kyoo-nee-er-ee] –adjective 1. of or pertaining to money: pecuniary difficulties. 2. consisting of or given or exacted in money or monetary payments: pecuniary tributes.

Front 702

apartheid

Back 702

[uh-pahrt-heyt, -hahyt] –noun 1. (in the Republic of South Africa) a rigid policy of segregation of the nonwhite population. 2. any system or practice that separates people according to race, caste, etc.

Front 703

fathom

Back 703

[fath-uhm] noun fath⋅om, verb –noun 1. a unit of length equal to six feet (1.8 meters): used chiefly in nautical measurements.

Front 704

lad⋅ing

Back 704

[ley-ding] –noun 1. that with which something is laden; load; freight; cargo.

Front 705

op⋅u⋅lence

Back 705

[op-yuh-luhns] –noun 1. wealth, riches, or affluence. 2. abundance, as of resources or goods; plenty. 3. the state of being opulent.

Front 706

pan⋅de⋅mo⋅ni⋅um

Back 706

[pan-duh-moh-nee-uhm] –noun 1. wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos. 2. a place or scene of riotous uproar or utter chaos.

Front 707

shrewd

Back 707

[shrood]–adjective, -er, -est. 1. astute or sharp in practical matters: a shrewd politician. 2. keen; piercing.

Front 708

panjandrum

Back 708

[pan-jan-druhm] –noun a self-important or pretentious official.

Front 709

vi⋅car⋅i⋅ous

Back 709

[vahy-kair-ee-uhs, vi-] –adjective 1. performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another: vicarious punishment. 2. taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute.

Front 710

e⋅vince

Back 710

[i-vins] –verb (used with object), e⋅vinced, e⋅vinc⋅ing. 1. to show clearly; make evident or manifest; prove. 2. to reveal the possession of (a quality, trait, etc.).

Front 711

af⋅flu⋅ence

Back 711

[af-loo-uhns or, often, uh-floo-] –noun 1. abundance of money, property, and other material goods; riches; wealth. 2. an abundant supply, as of thoughts or words; profusion.

Front 712

ven⋅er⋅ate

Back 712

[ven-uh-reyt] –verb (used with object), -at⋅ed, -at⋅ing. to regard or treat with reverence; revere.

Front 713

eu⋅nuch⋅ize

Back 713

[yoo-nuh-kahyz] –verb (used with object), -ized, -iz⋅ing. to castrate; emasculate.

Front 714

fran⋅gi⋅ble

Back 714

[fran-juh-buhl] –adjective easily broken; breakable: Most frangible toys are not suitable for young children.

Front 715

for⋅ti⋅fy/bastion

Back 715

[fawr-tuh-fahy] –verb (used with object) 1. to protect or strengthen against attack; surround or provide with defensive military works.

Front 716

mi⋅cro⋅cosm

Back 716

[mahy-kruh-koz-uhm] –noun 1. a little world; a world in miniature (opposed to macrocosm ).

Front 717

bi⋅be⋅lot

Back 717

[bib-loh; Fr. beebuh-loh] –noun. a small object of curiosity, beauty, or rarity.

Front 718

col⋅lage

Back 718

[kuh-lahzh, koh- noun 3. an assemblage or occurrence of diverse elements or fragments in unlikely or unexpected juxtaposition: The experimental play is a collage of sudden scene shifts, long monologues, musical interludes, and slapstick.

Front 719

pro⋅ver⋅bi⋅al

Back 719

[pruh-vur-bee-uhl] adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a proverb: proverbial brevity.

Front 720

neb⋅u⋅lous

Back 720

[neb-yuh-luhs] adjective 1. hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused: a nebulous recollection of the meeting; a nebulous distinction between pride and conceit.

Front 721

im⋅mac⋅u⋅late

Back 721

[i-mak-yuh-lit] adjective 1. free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean: immaculate linen.

Front 722

ve⋅rac⋅i⋅ty

Back 722

[vuh-ras-i-tee] noun 1. habitual observance of truth in speech or statement; truthfulness: He was not noted for his veracity.

Front 723

viper

Back 723

a malignant or spiteful person. a false or treacherous person.

Front 724

for⋅tu⋅i⋅tous

Back 724

[fawr-too-i-tuhs, -tyoo-] adjective 1. happening or produced by chance; accidental: a fortuitous encounter.

Front 725

no⋅to⋅ri⋅e⋅ty

Back 725

[noh-tuh-rahy-i-tee] noun, plural -ties. 1. the state, quality, or character of being notorious or widely known: a craze for notoriety.

Front 726

ep⋅i⋅logue

Back 726

[ep-uh-lawg, -log] noun 1. a concluding part added to a literary work, as a novel. 2. a speech, usually in verse, delivered by one of the actors after the conclusion of a play.

Front 727

ex⋅co⋅ri⋅ate

Back 727

 [ik-skawr-ee-eyt, -skohr-] verb (used with object), -at⋅ed, -at⋅ing. 1. to denounce or berate severely; flay verbally: He was excoriated for his mistakes.

Front 728

ha⋅rangue

Back 728

[huh-rang] noun 1. a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; diatribe.

Front 729

sur⋅rep⋅ti⋅tious

Back 729

[sur-uhp-tish-uhs] adjective 1. obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine: a surreptitious glance.

Front 730

at⋅el⋅ier

Back 730

[at-l-yey, at-l-yey; Fr. atuh-lyey] noun, a workshop or studio, esp. of an artist, artisan, or designer.

Front 731

las⋅civ⋅i⋅ous

Back 731

[luh-siv-ee-uhs] adjective 1. inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd: a lascivious, girl-chasing old man.

Front 732

os⋅ten⋅ta⋅tious

Back 732

[os-ten-tey-shuhs, -tuhn-] adjective 1. characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others: an ostentatious dresser.

Front 733

  dis⋅po⋅si⋅tion

Back 733

[dis-puh-zish-uhn] noun 1. the predominant or prevailing tendency of one's spirits; natural mental and emotional outlook or mood; characteristic attitude: a girl with a pleasant disposition.

Front 734

vi⋅cis⋅si⋅tude

Back 734

[vi-sis-i-tood, -tyood] noun 1. a change or variation occurring in the course of something. 2. interchange or alternation, as of states or things.

Front 735

terse

Back 735

[turs]–adjective ters⋅er, ters⋅est. 1. neatly or effectively concise; brief and pithy, as language. 2. abruptly concise; curt; brusque.

Front 736

ethos

Back 736

[ee-thos, ee-thohs, eth-os, -ohs]–noun 1. Sociology. the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period: In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued. 2. the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc. 3. the moral element in dramatic literature that determines a character's action rather than his or her thought or emotion.

Front 737

tempest

Back 737

[tem-pist]–noun 1. a violent windstorm, esp. one with rain, hail, or snow. 2. a violent commotion, disturbance, or tumult. –verb (used with object) 3. to affect by or as by a tempest; disturb violently. -Idiom 4. tempest in a teacup. teacup (def. 3).

Front 738

aubade

Back 738

[oh-bad, oh-bahd; Fr. oh-bad]-noun, a piece sung or played outdoors at dawn, usually as a compliment to someone.

Front 739

synergism

Back 739

[sin-er-jiz-uhm, si-nur-jiz-]–noun 1. the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc. 2. the joint action of agents, as drugs, that when taken together increase each other's effectiveness (contrasted with antagonism ). 3. Theology. the doctrine that the human will cooperates with the Holy Ghost in the work of regeneration.

Front 740

sermonette

Back 740

[sur-muh-net]–noun a brief sermon or homily: five-minute radio sermonettes.

Front 741

plenipotentiary

Back 741

[plen-uh-puh-ten-shee-er-ee, -shuh-ree]–noun 1. a person, esp. a diplomatic agent, invested with full power or authority to transact business on behalf of another. –adjective 2. invested with full power or authority, as a diplomatic agent. 3. conferring or bestowing full power, as a commission. 4. absolute or full, as power.

Front 742

hallow

Back 742

[hal-oh]–verb (used with object) 1. to make holy; sanctify; consecrate. 2. to honor as holy; consider sacred; venerate: to hallow a battlefield.

Front 743

prevaricate

Back 743

[pri-var-i-keyt]–verb (used without object), -cat⋅ed, -cat⋅ing. to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.

Front 744

coopt

Back 744

[koh-opt]–verb (used with object) 1. to elect into a body by the votes of the existing members. 2. to assimilate, take, or win over into a larger or established group: The fledgling Labor party was coopted by the Socialist party. BREAK 3. to appropriate as one's own; preempt: The dissidents have coopted the title of her novel for their slogan.

Front 745

perambulate

Back 745

[per-am-byuh-leyt]–verb (used with object) 1. to walk through, about, or over; travel through; traverse. 2. to traverse in order to examine or inspect. BREAK –verb (used without object) BREAK 3. to walk or travel about; stroll.

Front 746

indigenous

Back 746

[in-dij-uh-nuhs]–adjective 1. originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native (often fol. by to): the plants indigenous to Canada; the indigenous peoples of southern Africa. 2. innate; inherent; natural (usually fol. by to): feelings indigenous to human beings.

Front 747

amid

Back 747

[uh-mid]–preposition 1. in the middle of; surrounded by; among: to stand weeping amid the ruins. 2. during; in or throughout the course of.

Front 748

tantamount

Back 748

[tan-tuh-mount]–adjective equivalent, as in value, force, effect, or signification: His angry speech was tantamount to a declaration of war.

Front 749

gesticulate

Back 749

[je-stik-yuh-leyt]–verb (used without object) 1. to make or use gestures, esp. in an animated or excited manner with or instead of speech. –verb (used with object) 2. to express by gesturing.

Front 750

lament/commiserate/penance

Back 750

3W [luh-ment]–verb (used with object) 1. to feel or express sorrow or regret for: to lament his absence. 2. to mourn for or over.

Front 751

lascivious

Back 751

[luh-siv-ee-uhs]–adjective 1. inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd: a lascivious, girl-chasing old man. 2. arousing sexual desire: lascivious photographs.

Front 752

enjoin

Back 752

[en-join]–verb (used with object) 1. to prescribe (a course of action) with authority or emphasis: The doctor enjoined a strict diet.

Front 753

pretentious

Back 753

[pri-ten-shuhs] –adjective 1. full of pretense or pretension. 2. characterized by assumption of dignity or importance. 3. making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious.

Front 754

hellenization

Back 754

"verb (used without object) 2. to adopt Greek ideas or customs.

Front 755

precarious

Back 755

dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain; unstable; insecure: a precarious livelihood. 2. dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another: He held a precarious tenure under an arbitrary administration.

Front 756

par·a·gon

Back 756

noun a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence.

Front 757

cur·mudg·eon

Back 757

"noun a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person.

Front 758

gas·tron·o·my/gastronome

Back 758

noun the art or science of good eating. a style of cooking or eating.

Front 759

vict·ual

Back 759

"noun 1. victuals, food supplies; provisions. 2. food or provisions for human beings.

Front 760

har·lot

Back 760

"[hahr-luht] –noun a prostitute; whore.

Front 761

tar·a·did·dle

Back 761

"[tar-uh-did-l] –nounInformal. 1. a small lie; fib. 2. pretentious nonsense.

Front 762

vi·ti·ate

Back 762

[vish-ee-eyt] –verb (used with object),-at·ed, -at·ing. 1. to impair the quality of; make faulty; spoil. 2. to impair or weaken the effectiveness of.

Front 763

ap·pro·ba·tion

Back 763

[ap-ruh-bey-shuhn] –noun 1. approval; commendation. 2. official approval or sanction.

Front 764

qui·es·cent

Back 764

kwee-es-uhnt, kwahy-] –adjective being at rest; quiet; still; inactive or motionless:

Front 765

con·cil·i·ate

Back 765

1. to overcome the distrust or hostility of; placate; win over: to conciliate an angry competitor.

Front 766

las·si·tude

Back 766

[las-i-tood, -tyood] –noun1. weariness of body or mind from strain, oppressive climate, etc.; lack of energy; listlessness; languor.

Front 767

quat·rain

Back 767

"[kwo-treyn] –noun a stanza or poem of four lines, usually with alternate rhymes.

Front 768

ap·pel·la·tion

Back 768

[ap-uh-ley-shuhn] –noun 1.a name, title, or designation.

Front 769

aux·il·ia·ry

Back 769

" [awg-zil-yuh-ree, -zil-uh-] –adjective 1. additional; supplementary; reserve: an auxiliary police force. 4. giving support; serving as an aid; helpful: The mind and emotions are auxiliary to each other. Passion is auxiliary to art.

Front 770

nu·mi·nous

Back 770

[noo-muh-nuhs, nyoo-] –adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or like a numen; spiritual or supernatural. 2. surpassing comprehension or understanding; mysterious: that element in artistic expression that remains numinous.

Front 771

con·cede

Back 771

[kuhn-seed] –verb (used with object) 1. to acknowledge as true, just, or proper; admit: He finally conceded that she was right.

Front 772

di·chot·o·my

Back 772

[dahy-kot-uh-mee] –noun,plural-mies. 1. division into two parts, kinds, etc.; subdivision into halves or pairs. 2. division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups: a dichotomy between thought and action.

Front 773

ra·ti·oc·i·na·tion

Back 773

"[rash-ee-os-uh-ney-shuhn, -oh-suh-, rat-ee-] –noun the process of logical reasoning.

Front 774

e·gress

Back 774

[n. ee-gres; v. ih-gres] –noun 1.the act or an instance of going, esp. from an enclosed place. 2. a means or place of going out; an exit.

Front 775

de·ba·cle

Back 775

"[dey-bah-kuhl, -bak-uhl, duh-] –noun 1. a general breakup or dispersion; sudden downfall or rout: The revolution ended in a debacle.

Front 776

li·ai·son

Back 776

noun 1. the contact or connection maintained by communications between units of the armed forces or of any other organization in order to ensure concerted action, cooperation, etc.

Front 777

fe·lic·i·tate

Back 777

[fi-lis-i-teyt] –verb (used with object) 1. to compliment upon a happy event; congratulate.

Front 778

vo·cif·er·ous

Back 778

[voh-sif-er-uhs] –adjective 1. crying out noisily; clamorous.

Front 779

pur·port

Back 779

"verb (used with object) 1. to present, esp. deliberately, the appearance of being; profess or claim, often falsely: a document purporting to be official.

Front 780

rep·ro·bate

Back 780

"noun1. a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person: a drunken reprobate. 2. a person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation.

Front 781

cou·ture

Back 781

noun 1. the occupation of a couturier; dressmaking and designing. 2. fashion designers or couturiers collectively.

Front 782

pros·o·dy

Back 782

"3.Linguistics. the stress and intonation patterns of an utterance.

Front 783

in·to·na·tion

Back 783

noun 1. the pattern or melody of pitch changes in connected speech, esp. the pitch pattern of a sentence, which distinguishes kinds of sentences or speakers of different language cultures.

Front 784

lit·ur·gy

Back 784

noun,plural-gies. 1. a form of public worship; ritual.

Front 785

a·grar·i·an

Back 785

[uh-grair-ee-uhn] –adjective 1.relating to land, land tenure, or the division of landed property: agrarian laws.

Front 786

ger·und

Back 786

[jer-uhnd] –nounGrammar. 1. (in certain languages, as Latin) a form regularly derived from a verb and functioning as a noun, having in Latin all case forms but the nominative, as Latin dicendī gen., dicendō, dat., abl., etc., “saying.”

Front 787

pro·vi·sion·al//temporize

Back 787

[pruh-vizh-uh-nl] –adjective Also, pro·vi·sion·ar·y 1. providing or serving for the time being only; existing only until permanently or properly replaced; temporary: a provisional government.

Front 788

domicile

Back 788

[dom-uh-sahyl, -suhl, doh-muh-] –noun 1. a place of residence; abode; house or home.

Front 789

rus·ti·cate

Back 789

"[ruhs-ti-keyt] –verb (used without object) 1. to go to the country. 2. to stay or sojourn in the country.

Front 790

portico

Back 790

a structure consisting of a roof supported by columns or piers, usually attached to a building as a porch.

Front 791

mu·nif·i·cent

Back 791

"[myoo-nif-uh-suhnt] –adjective 1. extremely liberal in giving; very generous. 2. characterized by great generosity: a munificent bequest.

Front 792

Di·as·po·ra

Back 792

[dahy-as-per-uh] –noun 1. the scattering of the Jews to countries outside of Palestine after the Babylonian captivity. 2. (often lowercase) the body of Jews living in countries outside Palestine or modern Israel.

Front 793

in·can·ta·tion

Back 793

[in-kan-tey-shuhn] –noun 1. the chanting or uttering of words purporting to have magical power. 2. the formula employed; a spell or charm.

Front 794

mag·nan·i·mous

Back 794

adjective 1. generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness: to be magnanimous toward one's enemies. 2. high-minded; noble: a just and magnanimous ruler.

Front 795

blithe

Back 795

adjective,blith·er, blith·est. 1. joyous, merry, or gay in disposition; glad; cheerful: Everyone loved her for her blithe spirit.

Front 796

con·cil·i·ate//placate/appease/pacify/mollify/propitiate"

Back 796

6W [kuhn-sil-ee-eyt] verb (used with object) 1. to overcome the distrust or hostility of; placate; win over: to conciliate an angry competitor.

Front 797

ex·as·per·ate

Back 797

[v. ig-zas-puh-reyt; adj. ig-zas-per-it] –verb (used with object) 1. to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely: He was exasperated by the senseless delays.

Front 798

os·ten·si·ble

Back 798

"[o-sten-suh-buhl] –adjective 1. outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended: an ostensible cheerfulness concealing sadness. 2. apparent, evident, or conspicuous: the ostensible truth of their theories.

Front 799

ce·ler·i·ty/tantivies

Back 799

"2W [suh-ler-i-tee] –noun swiftness; speed.

Front 800

ar·du·ous

Back 800

[ahr-joo-uhs] adjective 1. requiring great exertion; laborious; difficult: an arduous undertaking. 2. requiring or using much energy and vigor; strenuous: making an arduous effort.

Front 801

ad·age/proverbial

Back 801

"2W [ad-ij] –noun A traditional saying expressing a common experience or observation; proverb.

Front 802

pon·tif·i·cate

Back 802

(pŏn-tĭf'ĭ-kĭt, -kāt') n. The office or term of office of a pontiff. 1. To express opinions or judgments in a dogmatic way. 2. To administer the office of a pontiff.

Front 803

in·ex·o·ra·ble

Back 803

"[in-ek-ser-uh-buhl] –adjective 1. unyielding; unalterable: inexorable truth; inexorable justice. 2. not to be persuaded, moved, or affected by prayers or entreaties: an inexorable creditor.

Front 804

pos·ter·i·ty

Back 804

"[po-ster-i-tee] –noun 1. succeeding or future generations collectively: Judgment of this age must be left to posterity. 2. all descendants of one person: His fortune was gradually dissipated by his posterity.

Front 805

va·lence

Back 805

"[vey-luhns] –noun 1.Chemistry. a.the quality that determines the number of atoms or groups with which any single atom or group will unite chemically. b.the relative combining capacity of an atom or group compared with that of the standard hydrogen atom. The chloride ion, Cl–, with a valence of one, has the capacity to unite with one atom of hydrogen or its equivalent, as in HCl or NaCl.

Front 806

aug·ment

Back 806

"verb (used with object) 1. to make larger; enlarge in size, number, strength, or extent; increase: His salary is augmented by a small inheritance. 2. a.to raise (the upper note of an interval or chord) by a half step. B.to double the note values of (a theme): In the fugue's development the subject is augmented.

Front 807

ex·e·ge·sis

Back 807

"[ek-si-jee-sis] –noun,plural-ses  /-siz/ Show Spelled[-seez] critical explanation or interpretation of a text or portion of a text, esp. of the Bible.

Front 808

pro·lix"

Back 808

"adjective 1.extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy. 2. (of a person) given to speaking or writing at great or tedious length.

Front 809

re·cid·i·vism

Back 809

"[ri-sid-uh-viz-uhm] –noun 1. repeated or habitual relapse, as into crime. 2. Psychiatry. the chronic tendency toward repetition of criminal or antisocial behavior patterns.

Front 810

terse/laconic

Back 810

"2W [turs] –adjectiveters·er, ters·est. 1. neatly or effectively concise; brief and pithy, as language. 2. abruptly concise; curt; brusque.

Front 811

per·sev·er·ate

Back 811

"[per-sev-uh-reyt] –verb (used without object),-at·ed, -at·ing. to repeat something insistently or redundantly: to perseverate in reminding children of their responsibilities.

Front 812

in·ef·fa·ble

Back 812

[in-ef-uh-buhl] adjective 1. incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible: ineffable joy.

Front 813

co·i·tus

Back 813

"[koh-i-tuhs] –noun sexual intercourse, esp. between a man and a woman.

Front 814

e·nig·ma

Back 814

[uh-nig-muh] –noun,plural-mas, -ma·ta  /-mətə/ Show Spelled[-muh-tuh] 1. a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation: His disappearance is an enigma that has given rise to much speculation. 2. a person of puzzling or contradictory character: To me he has always been an enigma, one minute completely insensitive, the next moved to tears.

Front 815

veneer

Back 815

a superficially valuable or pleasing appearance: a cruel person with a veneer of kindliness.

Front 816

lu·na·cy

Back 816

[loo-nuh-see] noun,plural-cies. 1. insanity; mental disorder. 2. intermittent insanity, formerly believed to be related to phases of the moon.

Front 817

her·me·neu·tic

Back 817

"[hur-muh-noo-tik, -nyoo-] –adjective of or pertaining to hermeneutics; interpretative; explanatory.

Front 818

con·sum·mate

Back 818

verb (used with object) 1. to bring to a state of perfection; fulfill. 2. to complete (an arrangement, agreement, or the like) by a pledge or the signing of a contract: The company consummated its deal to buy a smaller firm.

Front 819

anon

Back 819

"adverb 1. in a short time; soon. 2.at another time. 3. Archaic. at once; immediately.

Front 820

asseverate

Back 820

"verb (used with object),-at·ed, -at·ing. to declare earnestly or solemnly; affirm positively; aver.

Front 821

er·u·dite

Back 821

[er-yoo-dahyt, er-oo-] –adjective characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly: an erudite professor; an erudite commentary.

Front 822

eu·phe·mism

Back 822

[yoo-fuh-miz-uhm] noun 1. the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt. 2. the expression so substituted: “To pass away” is a euphemism for “to die.”

Front 823

coo day tah

Back 823

removal of a head of state from power (overthrow). Unlike a revolution, which usually takes large numbers of people to take over, a coup can be done by a small number of people. Even one person can cause a coup if they

Front 824

anthropomorhphic

Back 824

ascribing human form or attributes to a being or thing not human, esp. to a deity

Front 825

a·poth·e·o·sis

Back 825

[uh-poth-ee-oh-sis, ap-uh-thee-uh-sis] noun 1. the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god.

Front 826

on·tol·o·gy

Back 826

[on-tol-uh-jee] –noun 1. the branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of existence or being as such.

Front 827

in·tran·si·gent

Back 827

"[in-tran-si-juhnt] –adjective 1. refusing to agree or compromise; uncompromising; inflexible.

Front 828

he·gem·o·ny

Back 828

[hi-jem-uh-nee, hej-uh-moh-nee] –noun,plural-nies. 1. leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others, as in a confederation.

Front 829

in·ter·loc·u·to·ry

Back 829

adjective 1. of the nature of, pertaining to, or occurring in conversation: interlocutory instruction.

Front 830

ped·ant·ry

Back 830

[ped-n-tree] –noun,plural-ries. 1. the character, qualities, practices, etc., of a pedant, esp. undue display of learning.

Front 831

an·ar·chy

Back 831

noun 1. a state of society without government or law. 2. political and social disorder due to the absence of governmental control: The death of the king was followed by a year of anarchy.

Front 832

hi·a·tus

Back 832

[hahy-ey-tuhs] –noun,plural-tus·es, -tus. 1. a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc.

Front 833

fe·al·ty

Back 833

"noun,plural-ties. 1. a.fidelity to a lord. b. the obligation or the engagement to be faithful to a lord, usually sworn to by a vassal.

Front 834

an·a·sar·ca

Back 834

"[an-uh-sahr-kuh] –nounPathology. a pronounced, generalized edema.

Front 835

Bo·he·mi·an

Back 835

a person, as an artist or writer, who lives and acts free of regard for conventional rules and practices.

Front 836

tem·po·rize

Back 836

verb (used without object),-rized, -riz·ing. 1. to be indecisive or evasive to gain time or delay acting. 2. to comply with the time or occasion; yield temporarily or ostensibly to prevailing opinion or circumstances.

Front 837

suc·cor

Back 837

noun 1. help; relief; aid; assistance.

Front 838

ar·ca·num

Back 838

"noun,plural-na 1. Often, arcana. a secret; mystery. 2. a supposed great secret of nature that the alchemists sought to discover. 3. a secret and powerful remedy.

Front 839

co·pi·ous

Back 839

adjective 1. large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful: copious amounts of food.

Front 840

ca·dence

Back 840

nounAlso, cadency. 1. rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words: the cadence of language.

Front 841

in·vec·tive

Back 841

noun 1. vehement or violent denunciation, censure, or reproach. 2. a railing accusation; vituperation.

Front 842

syn·tax

Back 842

Linguistics. a.the study of the rules for the formation of grammatical sentences in a language.