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92 Cards in this Set
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- Back
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apotheosis
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N. elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something. The apotheosis of a Roman emperor was designed to insure his eternal greatness: people would worship at his altar forever. The hero of the musical How to Succeed in Business ... was the apotheosis of yuppieness: he was the perfect upwardly-bound young man on the make.
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appall
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V. dismay; shock. We were appalled by the horrifying conditions in the city's jails.
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apparatus
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N. equipment. Firefighters use specialized apparatus to fight fires.
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apparition
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"N. ghost; phantom. On the castle battlements, an apparition materialized and spoke to Hamlet, warning him of his uncle's treachery. In Ghostbusters, hordes of apparitions materialized, only to be dematerialized by the specialized apparatus wielded by Bill Murray."
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appease
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"V. pacify or soothe; relieve. Tom and Jody tried to appease the crying baby by offering him one toy after another, but he would not calm down until they appeased his hunger by giving him a bottle."
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appellation
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"N. name; title. Macbeth was startled when the witches greeted him with an incorrect appellation. Why did they call him Thane of Cawdor, he wondered, when the holder of that title still lived?"
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append
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"V. attach. When you append a bibliography to a text, you have just created an appendix."
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application
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"N. diligent attention. Pleased with how well Tom had whitewashed the fence, Aunt Polly praised him for his application to the task. apply,"
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apposite
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"ADJ. appropriate; fitting. He was always able to find the apposite phrase, the correct expression for every occasion."
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appraise
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"V. estimate value of. It is difficult to appraise the value of old paintings; it is easier to call them priceless. appraisal, N."
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appreciate
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"V. be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of. Little Orphan Annie truly appreciated the stocks Daddy Warbucks gave her, which appreciated in value considerably over the years."
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apprehend
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V. arrest (a criminal); dread; perceive. The police will apprehend the culprit and convict him before long.
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apprehension
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N. fear. His nervous glances at the passersby on the deserted street revealed his apprehension.
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apprenticeship
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"N. time spent as a novice learning a trade from a skilled worker. As a child, Pip had thought it would be wonderful to work as Joe's apprentice; now he hated his apprenticeship and scorned the blacksmith's trade."
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apprise
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"V. inform. When he was apprised of the dangerous weather conditions, he decided to postpone his trip."
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apotheosis
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N. elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something. The apotheosis of a Roman emperor was designed to insure his eternal greatness: people would worship at his altar forever. The hero of the musical How to Succeed in Business ... was the apotheosis of yuppieness: he was the perfect upwardly-bound young man on the make.
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appall
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V. dismay; shock. We were appalled by the horrifying conditions in the city's jails.
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apparatus
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N. equipment. Firefighters use specialized apparatus to fight fires.
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apparition
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"N. ghost; phantom. On the castle battlements, an apparition materialized and spoke to Hamlet, warning him of his uncle's treachery. In Ghostbusters, hordes of apparitions materialized, only to be dematerialized by the specialized apparatus wielded by Bill Murray."
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appease
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"V. pacify or soothe; relieve. Tom and Jody tried to appease the crying baby by offering him one toy after another, but he would not calm down until they appeased his hunger by giving him a bottle."
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appellation
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"N. name; title. Macbeth was startled when the witches greeted him with an incorrect appellation. Why did they call him Thane of Cawdor, he wondered, when the holder of that title still lived?"
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append
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"V. attach. When you append a bibliography to a text, you have just created an appendix."
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application
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"N. diligent attention. Pleased with how well Tom had whitewashed the fence, Aunt Polly praised him for his application to the task. apply,"
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apposite
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"ADJ. appropriate; fitting. He was always able to find the apposite phrase, the correct expression for every occasion."
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appraise
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"V. estimate value of. It is difficult to appraise the value of old paintings; it is easier to call them priceless. appraisal, N."
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appreciate
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"V. be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of. Little Orphan Annie truly appreciated the stocks Daddy Warbucks gave her, which appreciated in value considerably over the years."
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apprehend
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V. arrest (a criminal); dread; perceive. The police will apprehend the culprit and convict him before long.
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apprehension
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N. fear. His nervous glances at the passersby on the deserted street revealed his apprehension.
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apprenticeship
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"N. time spent as a novice learning a trade from a skilled worker. As a child, Pip had thought it would be wonderful to work as Joe's apprentice; now he hated his apprenticeship and scorned the blacksmith's trade."
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apprise
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"V. inform. When he was apprised of the dangerous weather conditions, he decided to postpone his trip."
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approbation
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"N. approval. She looked for some sign of approbation from her parents, hoping her good grades would please them."
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appropriate
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V. acquire; take possession of for one's own use. The ranch owners appropriated the lands that had originally been set aside for the Indians' use.
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apropos
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PREP. with reference to; regarding. I find your remarks apropos of the present situation timely and pertinent. also
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aptitude
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N. fitness; talent. The counselor gave him an aptitude test before advising him about the career he should follow.
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aquatic
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ADJ. pertaining to water. Paul enjoyed aquatic sports such as scuba diving and snorkeling.
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aquiline
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"ADJ. curved, hooked. He can be recognized by his aquiline nose, curved like the beak of the eagle."
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arable
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"ADJ. fit for growing crops. The first settlers wrote home glowing reports of the New World, praising its vast acres of arable land ready for the plow."
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arbiter
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"N. a person with power to decide a dispute; judge. As an arbiter in labor disputes, she has won the confidence of the workers and the employers."
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arbitrary
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"ADJ. capricious; randomly chosen; tyrannical. Tom's arbitrary dismissal angered him; his boss had no reason to fire him. He threw an arbitrary assortment of clothes into his suitcase and headed off, not caring where he went."
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arbitrator
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"N. judge. Because the negotiating teams had been unable to reach a contract settlement, an outside arbitrator was called upon to mediate the dispute between union and management. arbitration, N."
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arboretum
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"N. place where different tree varieties are exhibited. Walking along the tree-lined paths of the arboretum, Rita noted poplars, firs, and some particularly fine sycamores."
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arcade
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"N. a covered passageway, usually lined with shops. The arcade was popular with shoppers because it gave them protection from the summer sun and the winter rain."
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archaeology
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N. study of artifacts and relics of early mankind. The professor of archaeology headed an expedition to the Gobi Desert in search of ancient ruins.
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archaic
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"ADJ. antiquated. ""Methinks,"" ""thee,"" and ""thou"" are archaic words that are no longer part of our normal vocabulary."
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archetype
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N. prototype; primitive pattern. The Brooklyn Bridge was the archetype of the many spans that now connect Manhattan with Long Island and New Jersey.
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archipelago
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"N. group of closely located islands. When Gauguin looked at the map and saw the archipelagoes in the South Seas, he longed to visit them."
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archives
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N. public records; place where public records are kept. These documents should be part of the archives so that historians may be able to evaluate them in the future.
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ardent
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"ADJ. intense; passionate; zealous. Katya's ardor was contagious; soon all her fellow demonstrators were busily making posters and handing out flyers, inspired by her ardent enthusiasm for the cause. ardor, N."
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arduous
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ADJ. hard; strenuous. Her arduous efforts had sapped her energy.
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aria
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"N. operatic solo. At her Metropolitan Opera audition, Marian Anderson sang an aria from Norma."
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arid
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ADJ. dry; barren. The cactus has adapted to survive in an arid environment.
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aristocracy
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"N. hereditary nobility; privileged class. Americans have mixed feelings about hereditary aristocracy. we say all men are created equal, but we describe particularly outstanding people as natural aristocrats."
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armada
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N. fleet of warships. Queen Elizabeth's navy defeated the mighty armada that threatened the English coast.
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aromatic
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ADJ. fragrant. Medieval sailing vessels brought aromatic herbs from China to Europe.
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arousal
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"N. awakening; provocation (of a response). On arousal, Papa was always grumpy as a bear. The children tiptoed around the house, fearing they would arouse his anger by waking him up."
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arraign
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"V. charge in court; indict. After his indictment by the Grand Jury, the accused man was arraigned in the County Criminal Court."
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array
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V. marshal; draw up in order. His actions were bound to array public sentiment against him. also N.
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array
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V. clothe; adorn. She liked to watch her mother array herself in her finest clothes before going out for the evening. also N.
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arrears
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N. being in debt. He was in arrears with his payments on the car.
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arrest
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"V. stop or slow down; catch someone's attention. Slipping, the trapeze artist plunged from the heights until a safety net luckily arrested his fall. This near-disaster arrested the crowd's attention."
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arrogance
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"N. pride; haughtiness. Convinced that Emma thought she was better than anyone else in the class, Ed rebuked her for her arrogance."
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arroyo
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"N. gully. Until the heavy rains of the past spring, this arroyo had been a dry bed."
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arsenal
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N. storage place for military equipment. People are forbidden to smoke in the arsenal for fear that a stray spark might setoff the munitions stored there.
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articulate
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ADJ. effective; distinct. Her articulate presentation of the advertising campaign impressed her employers. alsoV.
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artifact
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"N. object made by human beings, either handmade or mass-produced. Archaeologists debated the significance of the artifacts discovered in the ruins of Asia Minor but came to no conclusion about the culture they represented."
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artifice
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N. deception; trickery. The Trojan War proved to the Greeks that cunning and artifice were often more effective than military might.
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artisan
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"N. manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist. A noted artisan, Arturo was known for the fine craftsmanship of his inlaid cabinets."
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artless
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"ADJ. without guile; open and honest. Sophisticated and cynical, Jack could not believe Jill was as artless and naive as she appeared to be."
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ascendancy
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N. controlling influence; domination. Leaders of religious cults maintain ascendancy over their followers by methods that can verge on brainwashing.
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ascertain
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V. find out for certain. Please ascertain her present address.
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ascetic
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"ADJ. practicing self-denial; austere. The wealthy, self-indulgent young man felt oddly drawn to the strict, ascetic life led by members of some monastic orders. also N."
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ascribe
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V. refer; attribute; assign. I can ascribe no motive for her acts.
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aseptic
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ADJ. preventing infection; having a cleansing effect. Hospitals succeeded in lowering the mortality rate as soon as they introduced aseptic conditions.
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ashen
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ADJ. ash-colored. Her face was ashen with fear.
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asinine
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ADJ. stupid. Your asinine remarks prove that you have not given this problem any serious consideration.
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askance
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"ADJ. with a sideways or indirect look. Looking askance at her questioner, she displayed her scorn."
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askew
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"ADJ. crookedly; slanted; at an angle. When he placed his hat askew upon his head, his observers laughed."
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asperity
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"N. sharpness (of temper). These remarks, spoken with asperity, stung the boys to whom they had been directed."
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aspirant
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"N. seeker after position or status. Although I am an aspirant for public office, I am not willing to accept the dictates of the party bosses. alsoADJ."
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aspire
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"V. seek to attain; long for. Because he aspired to a career in professional sports, Philip enrolled in a graduate program in sports management. aspiration, N."
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assail
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V. assault. He was assailed with questions after his lecture.
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assay
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"V.analyze; evaluate. When they assayed the ore, they found that they had discovered a very rich vein. also N."
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assent
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V. agree; accept. It gives me great pleasure to assentto your request.
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assert
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"V. declare or state with confidence; put oneself forward boldly. Malcolm asserted that if Reese quit acting like a wimp and asserted himself a bit more, he'd improve his chances of getting a date. assertion, N."
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assessment
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N. evaluation; judgment. Your SAT I score plays a part in the admission committee's assessment of you as an applicant.
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assiduous
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"ADJ. diligent. He was assiduous, working at this task for weeks before he felt satisfied with his results. assiduity, N."
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assimilate
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"V. absorb; cause to become homogeneous. The manner in which the United States was able to assimilate the hordes of immigrants during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries will always be a source of pride to Americans. The immigrants eagerly assimilated new ideas and customs; they soaked them up, the way plants soak up water."
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assuage
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"V. ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger). Jilted by Jane, Dick tried to assuage his heartache by indulging in ice cream. One gallon later, he had assuaged his appetite but not his grief."
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assumption
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"N. something taken for granted; taking over or taking possession of. The young princess made the foolish assumption that the regent would not object to her assumption of power. assume,V."
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assurance
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"N. promise or pledge; certainty; self-confidence. When Guthrie gave Guinness his assurance that rehearsals were going well, he spoke with such assurance that Guinness felt relieved. assure,V."
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asteroid
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N. small planet. Asteroids have become commonplace to the readers of interstellar travel stories in science fiction magazines.
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astigmatism
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"N. eye defect that prevents proper focus. As soon as his parents discovered that the boy suffered from astigmatism, they took him to the optometrist for corrective glasses."
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