Barron's List 47

Front 1

Topography

Back 1

Physical features of a region

Hint 1

"Before the generals gave the order to attack, they ordered a complete study of the topography of the region."

Front 2

Torpor

Back 2

Lethargy; Sluggishness; Dormancy

Hint 2

"Throughout the winter, nothing aroused the bear from his torpor: he would not emerge from hibernation until spring. torpid,ADJ."

Front 3

Torrent

Back 3

Rushing stream; Flood

Hint 3

"Day after day of heavy rain saturated the hillside until the water ran downhill in tor­rents. torrential,ADJ."

Front 4

Torrid

Back 4

Passionate; Hot or scorching

Hint 4

"Harlequin Romances publish torrid tales of love affairs, some set in torrid climates."

Front 5

Torso

Back 5

"Trunk of statue with head and limbs missing; Human trunk (Antonym: Mind,Soul)"

Hint 5

"This torso, found in the ruins of Pompeii, is now on exhibition in the museum in Naples."

Front 6

Tortuous

Back 6

Winding; Full of curves

Hint 6

"Because this road is so tortuous, it is unwise to go faster than twenty miles an hour on it."

Front 7

Totter

Back 7

"Move unsteadily; Sway, as if about to fall"

Hint 7

"On unsteady feet, the drunk tottered down the hill to the near­est bar."

Front 8

Touchstone

Back 8

Stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; Criterion

Hint 8

What touchstone can be used to measure the character of a person?

Front 9

Touchy

Back 9

Sensitive; Irascible

Hint 9

Do not mention his bald spot; he's very touchy about it.

Front 10

Tout

Back 10

Publicize; Praise excessively

Hint 10

I lost confidence in my broker after he touted some junk bonds to me that turned out to be a bad investment.

Front 11

Toxic

Back 11

Poisonous

Hint 11

"We must seek an antidote for what­ever toxic substance he has eaten. toxicity, N."

Front 12

Tract

Back 12

Region of land (often imprecisely described); Pam­phlet

Hint 12

The king granted William Penn a tract of land in the New World. Penn then printed a tract in which he encour­aged settlers to join his colony.

Front 13

Tractable

Back 13

Docile; Easily managed

Hint 13

"Although Susan seemed a tractable young woman, she had a stubborn streak of independence that occasionally led her to defy the powers-that-be when she felt they were in the wrong."

Front 14

Traduce

Back 14

Expose to slander

Hint 14

His opponents tried to tra­duce the candidate's reputation by spreading rumors about his past.

Front 15

Trajectory

Back 15

Path taken by a projectile

Hint 15

The police tried to locate the spot from which the assassin had fired the fatal shot by tracing the trajectory of the bullet.

Front 16

Tranquillity

Back 16

Calmness; Peace

Hint 16

"After the commotion and excitement of the city, I appreciate the tranquillity of these fields and forests."

Front 17

Transcendent

Back 17

Surpassing; Exceeding ordinary limits; Superior

Hint 17

"For the amateur chef, dining at the four-star restaurant was a transcendent experience: the meal sur­passed his wildest dreams."

Front 18

Transcribe

Back 18

Copy

Hint 18

"When you transcribe your notes, please send a copy to Mr. Smith and keep the original for our files. transcription, N."

Front 19

Transgression

Back 19

Violation of a law; Sin

Hint 19

Forgive us our transgressions; we know not what we do.

Front 20

Transient

Back 20

Momentary; Temporary; Staying for a short time

Hint 20

"Lexy's joy at finding the perfect Christmas gift for Phil was transient, she still had to find presents for the cousins and Uncle Bob. Located near the airport, this hotel caters to a largely transient trade. transience, N."

Front 21

Transition

Back 21

Going from one state of action to another

Hint 21

"During the period of transition from oil heat to gas heat, the furnace will have to be shut off."

Front 22

Transitory

Back 22

Impermanent; Fleeting

Hint 22

"Fame is transitory: today's rising star is all too soon tomorrow's washed-up has-been. transitoriness, N."

Front 23

Translucent

Back 23

Partly transparent

Hint 23

We could not recog­nize the people in the next room because of the translucent curtains that separated us.

Front 24

Transmute

Back 24

Change; Convert to something different

Hint 24

He was unable to transmute his dreams into actualities.

Front 25

Transparent

Back 25

Easily detected; Permitting light to pass through freely

Hint 25

John's pride in his son is transparent; no one who sees the two of them together can miss it.

Front 26

Transport

Back 26

Strong emotion

Hint 26

"Margo was a creature of extremes, at one moment in transports of joy over a vivid sunset, at another moment in transports of grief over a dying bird. also"

Front 27

Trappings

Back 27

Outward decorations; Ornaments

Hint 27

"He loved the trappings of success: the limousines, the stock options, the company jet."

Front 28

Traumatic

Back 28

Pertaining to an injury caused by violence

Hint 28

"In his nightmares, he kept on recalling the traumatic experi­ence of being wounded in battle."

Front 29

Travail

Back 29

Painful labor

Hint 29

How long do you think a man can endure such travail and degradation without rebelling?

Front 30

Traverse

Back 30

"Go through or across; to look over, examine, or consider carefully"

Hint 30

"When you traverse this field, be careful of the bull."

Front 31

Travesty

Back 31

Comical parody; Treatment aimed at making something appear ridiculous

Hint 31

The ridiculous decision the jury has reached is a travesty of justice.

Front 32

Treacly or Treacle

Back 32

Sticky sweet; Cloyingly sentimental; Antidote or Remedy

Hint 32

"Irritatingly cheerful, always looking on the bright side, Pollyanna speaks nothing but treacly sentimentalities. treacle, N."

Front 33

Treatise

Back 33

Article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly

Hint 33

He is preparing a treatise on the Elizabethan playwrights for his graduate degree.

Front 34

Trek

Back 34

Travel; Journey

Hint 34

The tribe made their trek farther north that summer in search of game. alsoV.

Front 35

Tremor

Back 35

Trembling; Slight quiver

Hint 35

She had a nervous tremor in her right hand.

Front 36

Tremulous

Back 36

Trembling; Wavering

Hint 36

She was tremulous more from excitement than from fear.

Front 37

Trenchant

Back 37

Cutting; Keen; 2nd Meaning: Sarcastic

Hint 37

I am afraid of his trenchant wit for it is so often sarcastic.

Front 38

Trepidation

Back 38

Fear; Nervous apprehension

Hint 38

"As she entered the office of the dean of admissions, Sharon felt some trepi­dation about how she would do in her interview."

Front 39

Trespass

Back 39

Unlawfully enter the boundaries of some else's property

Hint 39

The wicked baron flogged any poacher who tres­passed on his private hunting grounds. also N.

Front 40

Tribute

Back 40

Tax levied by a ruler; Mark of respect

Hint 40

The colonists refused to pay tribute to a foreign despot.

Front 41

Trifling

Back 41

Trivial; Unimportant

Hint 41

"Why bother going to see a doctor for such a trifling, everyday cold?"

Front 42

Trigger

Back 42

Set off

Hint 42

John is touchy today; say one word wrong and you'll trigger an explosion.

Front 43

Trinket

Back 43

Knickknack; Bauble

Hint 43

"Whenever she traveled abroad, Ethel would pick up costume jewelry and other trin­kets as souvenirs."

Front 44

Trite

Back 44

Hackneyed; Commonplace

Hint 44

"The trite and pre­dictable situations in many television programs turn off many viewers, who, in turn, turn off their sets."

Front 45

Trivial

Back 45

Unimportant; Trifling

Hint 45

"Too many magazines ignore newsworthy subjects and feature trivial affairs. trivia, N."

Front 46

Trough

Back 46

"Container for feeding farm animals; Lowest point (of a wave, business cycle, etc"

Hint 46

") The hungry pigs struggled to get at the fresh swill in the trough. The surfer rode her board, coasting along in the trough between two waves."

Front 47

Truculence

Back 47

Aggressiveness; Ferocity

Hint 47

"Tynan's reviews were noted for their caustic attacks and general tone of tru­culence. truculent,ADJ."

Front 48

Truism

Back 48

Self-evident truth

Hint 48

"Many a truism is summed up in a proverb; for example, ""Marry in haste, repent at leisure."""

Front 49

Truncate

Back 49

Cut the top off

Hint 49

The top of a cone that has been truncated in a plane parallel to its base is a circle.

Front 50

Tryst

Back 50

Meeting during a love affair

Hint 50

The lovers kept their tryst even though they realized their danger.

Front 51

Tumult

Back 51

Commotion; Riot; Noise

Hint 51

She could not make her­self heard over the tumult of the mob.

Front 52

Tundra

Back 52

"Rolling, treeless plain in Siberia and arctic North America"

Hint 52

"Despite the cold, many geologists are trying to discover valuable mineral deposits in the tundra."

Front 53

Turbid

Back 53

Muddy; Having the sediment disturbed

Hint 53

The water was turbid after the children had waded through it.

Front 54

Turbulence

Back 54

State of violent agitation

Hint 54

"Warned of approaching turbulence in the atmosphere, the pilot told the passengers to fasten their seat belts."

Front 55

Turgid

Back 55

Swollen; Distended; Ostentatious (as in being full of oneself)

Hint 55

The turgid river threatened to overflow the levees and flood the countryside.

Front 56

Turmoil

Back 56

Great commotion and confusion

Hint 56

Lydia running off with a soldier! Mother fainting at the news! The Bennet household was in turmoil.

Front 57

Turncoat

Back 57

Traitor

Hint 57

The British considered Benedict Arnold a loyalist; the Americans considered him a turncoat.

Front 58

Turpitude

Back 58

Depravity

Hint 58

A visitor may be denied admittance to this country if she has been guilty of moral turpitude.

Front 59

Tutelage

Back 59

Guardianship; Training

Hint 59

"Under the tutelage of such masters of the instrument, she made rapid progress as a virtuoso."

Front 60

Tycoon

Back 60

Wealthy leader

Hint 60

John D. Rockefeller was a prominent tycoon.

Front 61

Typhoon

Back 61

Tropical hurricane or cyclone

Hint 61

"If you liked Twister, you'll love Typhoon!"

Front 62

Tyranny

Back 62

Oppression; Cruel government

Hint 62

Frederick Dou­glass fought against the tyranny of slavery throughout his life.

Front 63

Tyro

Back 63

Beginner; Novice

Hint 63

"For a mere tyro, you have pro­duced some wonderfully expert results."

Front 64

Ubiquitous

Back 64

Being everywhere; Omnipresent

Hint 64

"That Christmas ""The Little Drummer Boy"" seemed ubiquitous; David heard the tune everywhere."