Big Book And Others

Front 1

psychosis

Back 1

a mental disorder characterized by symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations

Front 2

pyre

Back 2

a pile or heap of wood or other combustible material

Front 3

feckless

Back 3

ineffective; incompetent; futile:
having no sense of responsibility; indifferent; lazy.

Front 4

underwrite

Back 4

to show agreement with or to support by or as if by signing one's name to, as a statement or decision

Front 5

boycott

Back 5

to abstain from buying or using: to boycott foreign products

Front 6

undermine

Back 6

to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages,

Front 7

undergird

Back 7

to strengthen; secure, as by passing a rope or chain under and around: to undergird a top-heavy load

Front 8

undercutting

Back 8

to weaken or destroy the impact or effectiveness of; undermine.

Front 9

commendable

Back 9

to present, mention, or praise as worthy of confidence

Front 10

preamble

Back 10

an introductory statement; preface; introduction.
the introductory part of a statute

Front 11

toil

Back 11

hard and continuous work; exhausting labor or effort.
a laborious task.

Front 12

millinery

Back 12

women's hats and other articles made or sold by milliners

Front 13

cadge

Back 13

to borrow without intent to repay.
to beg or obtain by begging.

Front 14

limp

Back 14

lacking stiffness or firmness, as of substance, fiber, structure, or bodily frame: a limp body

Front 15

stark

Back 15

harsh, grim, or desolate, as a view, place, etc.: a stark landscape.

Front 16

outset

Back 16

beginning or start

Front 17

flustered

Back 17

to put into a state of agitated confusion: His constant criticism flustered me.

Front 18

fidget

Back 18

to move about restlessly, nervously, or impatiently

Front 19

allusive

Back 19

having reference to something implied or inferred; containing, abounding in, or characterized by allusions

Front 20

indecorous

Back 20

not decorous; violating generally accepted standards of good taste or propriety; unseemly.

Front 21

fallow

Back 21

not in use; inactive: My creative energies have lain fallow this year.

Front 22

stinting

Back 22

to limit to a certain amount, number, share, or allowance, often unduly; set limits to; restrict.

Front 23

gangway

Back 23

a passageway, esp. a narrow walkway

Front 24

drawbridge

Back 24

a bridge of which the whole or a section may be drawn up, let down, or drawn aside

Front 25

roll call

Back 25

the calling of a list of names, as of soldiers or students, for checking attendance
a voting process

Front 26

epilogue

Back 26

a concluding part added to a literary work, as a novel

Front 27

fad

Back 27

a temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., esp. one followed enthusiastically by a group.

Front 28

bit

Back 28

a removable drilling or boring tool for use in a brace, drill press, or the like.

Front 29

figurehead

Back 29

a person who is head of a group, company, etc., in title but actually has no real authority or responsibility

Front 30

ballads

Back 30

any light, simple song

Front 31

chorales

Back 31

a hymn, esp. one with strong harmonization

Front 32

chanteys

Back 32

a sailors' song, esp. one sung in rhythm to work

Front 33

suborn

Back 33

to bribe or induce (someone) unlawfully or secretly to perform some misdeed or to commit a crime.

Front 34

phenomenology

Back 34

the study of phenomena

Front 35

verve

Back 35

enthusiasm or vigor, as in literary or artistic work; spirit: Her latest novel lacks verve.

Front 36

arresting

Back 36

attracting or capable of attracting attention or interest; striking: an arresting smile

Front 37

intemperance

Back 37

lack of moderation or due restraint, as in action or speech

Front 38

parquetry

Back 38

mosaic work of wood used for floors, wainscoting, etc.; marquetry

Front 39

wary

Back 39

watchful; being on one's guard against danger

Front 40

plod

Back 40

to walk heavily or move laboriously; trudge: to plod under the weight of a burden.

Front 41

snatch

Back 41

to seize by a sudden or hasty grasp: He snatched the old lady's purse and ran

Front 42

skit

Back 42

a short literary piece of a humorous or satirical character

Front 43

ostracism

Back 43

exclusion, by general consent, from social acceptance, privileges, friendship, etc

Front 44

paternalism

Back 44

the system, principle, or practice of managing or governing individuals, businesses, nations, etc., in the manner of a father dealing benevolently and often intrusively with his children

Front 45

raffish

Back 45

gaudily vulgar or cheap; tawdry

Front 46

caulk

Back 46

to fill or close seams or crevices of (a tank, window, etc.) in order to make watertight, airtight, etc

Front 47

stasis

Back 47

the state of equilibrium or inactivity caused by opposing equal forces

Front 48

plumb

Back 48

to examine closely in order to discover or understand: to plumb someone's thoughts.

Front 49

woo

Back 49

to seek the favor, affection, or love of, esp. with a view to marriage

Front 50

vanquish

Back 50

to conquer or subdue by superior force, as in battle

Front 51

appreciable

Back 51

easily noticed; considerable

Front 52

quirkiness

Back 52

eccentricity

Front 53

brood

Back 53

to think or worry persistently or moodily about; ponder: He brooded the problem

Front 54

dither

Back 54

to act irresolutely; vacillate

Front 55

objurgate

Back 55

to reproach or denounce vehemently; upbraid harshly; berate sharply.

Front 56

linoleum

Back 56

a hard, washable floor covering formed by coating burlap or canvas with linseed oil, powdered cork, and rosin, and adding pigments to create the desired colors and patterns

Front 57

distend

Back 57

to expand by stretching, as something hollow or elastic: Habitual overeating had distended his stomach

Front 58

underling

Back 58

a subordinate, esp. one of slight importance.

Front 59

flak

Back 59

criticism; hostile reaction; abuse: Such an unpopular decision is bound to draw a lot of flak from the press.

Front 60

clinch

Back 60

to settle (a matter) decisively: After they clinched the deal they went out to celebrate

Front 61

rumple

Back 61

to ruffle; tousle (sometimes fol. by up): The wind rumpled her hair

Front 62

acorn

Back 62

the typically ovoid fruit or nut of an oak, enclosed at the base by a cupule

Front 63

four-poster

Back 63

A bed having tall corner posts originally intended to support curtains or a canopy

Front 64

girder

Back 64

a large beam, as of steel, reinforced concrete, or timber, for supporting masonry, joists, purlins, etc

Front 65

silversmith

Back 65

a person whose occupation is making and repairing articles of silver

Front 66

notch

Back 66

an angular or V-shaped cut, indentation, or slit in an object, surface, or edge

Front 67

tourniquet

Back 67

any device for arresting bleeding by forcibly compressing a blood vessel, as a bandage tightened by twisting

Front 68

adumbrate

Back 68

to produce a faint image or resemblance of; to outline or sketch.

to foreshadow; prefigure

Front 69

serf

Back 69

a slave

Front 70

corral

Back 70

an enclosure or pen for horses, cattle, etc.

Front 71

coop

Back 71

an enclosure, cage, or pen, usually with bars or wires, in which fowls or other small animals are confined for fattening, transportation, etc

Front 72

jamb

Back 72

either of the vertical sides of a doorway, arch, window, or other opening

Front 73

minutes

Back 73

minutes, the official record of the proceedings at a meeting of a society, committee, or other group

Front 74

byline

Back 74

a printed line accompanying a news story, article, or the like, giving the author's name

Front 75

declamation

Back 75

exercise in oratory or elocution, as in the recitation of a classic speech

Front 76

aboveboard

Back 76

in open sight; without tricks, concealment, or disguise: Their actions are open and aboveboard

Front 77

disaffect

Back 77

to alienate the affection, sympathy, or support of; make discontented or disloyal

Front 78

occult

Back 78

to block or shut off (an object) from view; hide.

Front 79

limn

Back 79

to represent in drawing or painting.

Front 80

extenuating

Back 80

mitigating, lessening or moderating;

Front 81

drawl

Back 81

to say or speak in a slow manner, usually prolonging the vowels

Front 82

turret

Back 82

a small tower, usually one forming part of a larger structure

Front 83

impervious

Back 83

incapable of being injured or impaired: impervious to wear and tear

Front 84

levy

Back 84

to start or wage (war}

Front 85

strut

Back 85

A strut is a structural component designed to resist longitudinal compression in wings

Front 86

disbar

Back 86

to expel from the legal profession or from the bar of a particular court

Front 87

stride

Back 87

to walk with long steps, as with vigor, haste, impatience, or arrogance.

Front 88

jejune

Back 88

without interest or significance; dull; insipid: a jejune novel.
juvenile; immature; childish: jejune behavior.

Front 89

dog tag

Back 89

A metal identification tag worn on a chain around the neck by members of the armed forces

Front 90

miscegenation

Back 90

marriage or cohabitation between a man and woman of different races, esp., in the U.S., between a black and a white person

Front 91

ratiocination

Back 91

the process of logical reasoning.

Front 92

paean

Back 92

any song of praise, joy, or triumph

Front 93

earnest

Back 93

Serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous: an earnest worker.

showing depth and sincerity of feeling: earnest words; an earnest entreaty

Front 94

snob

Back 94

a person who imitates, cultivates, or slavishly admires social superiors and is condescending or overbearing to others.

Front 95

cronyism

Back 95

the practice of favoring one's close friends, esp. in political appointments

Front 96

heartiness

Back 96

warm-hearted; affectionate; cordial; jovial: a hearty welcome.

genuine; sincere; heartfelt: hearty approval; hearty dislike

Front 97

rein

Back 97

any means of curbing, controlling, or directing; check; restraint

Front 98

rind

Back 98

a thick and firm outer coat or covering, as of certain fruits, cheeses, and meats: watermelon rind; orange rind; bacon rind.

Front 99

groan

Back 99

a low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief: the groans of dying soldiers

Front 100

braided

Back 100

to weave together strips or strands of

Front 101

attune

Back 101

to bring into accord, harmony, or sympathetic relationship; adjust: He has attuned himself to living in the quiet country.

Front 102

conflate

Back 102

to fuse into one entity; merge: to conflate dissenting voices into one protest.

Front 103

hallmark

Back 103

A mark indicating quality or excellence.

Front 104

unregenerate

Back 104

not reformed; wicked; sinful; profligate; dissolute: an unregenerate way of life.

Front 105

discountenance

Back 105

to disconcert, embarrass, or abash: With his composure, he survived every attempt to discountenance him.

disapproval; disapprobation.
Origin:

Front 106

daguerreotype

Back 106

a picture made by this process

Front 107

scripture

Back 107

any writing or book, esp. when of a sacred or religious nature.

Front 108

hack

Back 108

a person, as an artist or writer, who exploits, for money, his or her creative ability or training in the production of dull, unimaginative, and trite work

Front 109

rouse

Back 109

to stir or incite to strong indignation or anger.

Front 110

bravura

Back 110

a florid passage or piece requiring great skill and spirit in the performer.

brilliant performance

Front 111

buck

Back 111

to resist or oppose obstinately; object strongly to

Front 112

gild

Back 112

To give an often deceptively attractive or improved appearance to

Front 113

byzantine

Back 113

difficult to understand

Front 114

cloudburst

Back 114

a sudden and very heavy rainfall.

Front 115

bench

Back 115

a seat occupied by an official, esp. a judge.

Front 116

filly

Back 116

a young female horse.

Front 117

pullet

Back 117

a young hen, less than one year old.

Front 118

bromide

Back 118

a platitude or trite saying

Front 119

ditty

Back 119

a poem intended to be sung.
a short, simple song.

Front 120

salve

Back 120

a medicinal ointment for healing or relieving wounds and sores.

Front 121

sibilant

Back 121

hissing

Front 122

strait
 

Back 122

a narrow passage of water connecting two large bodies of water

Front 123

racy

Back 123

slightly improper or indelicate; suggestive; risqué.
vigorous; lively; spirited.

Front 124

indurate

Back 124

to make callous, stubborn, or unfeeling: transgressions that indurate the heart.

Front 125

excursive

Back 125

wandering; digressive.

Front 126

bustling

Back 126

thriving or energetic activity; stir; ferment

Front 127

jolt

Back 127

to move with a sharp jerk or a series of sharp jerks: The car jolted to a halt.

Front 128

ravishing

Back 128

extremely beautiful or attractive; enchanting; entrancing.

Front 129

rustling

Back 129

to steal (livestock, esp. cattle)

Front 130

rehydrate

Back 130

to return (a dehydrated or concentrated food) to the liquid state by adding water

Front 131

bring off

Back 131

to accomplish, carry out, or achieve (something)

Front 132

clutch

Back 132

to grip or hold tightly or firmly

Front 133

aggravated

Back 133

to cause to become irritated or inflamed:

Front 134

forebore

Back 134

to refrain or abstain from; desist from

Front 135

caret

Back 135

a mark (‸) made in written or printed matter to show the place where something is to be inserted.

Front 136

allusive

Back 136

having reference to something implied or inferred; containing, abounding in, or characterized by allusions.

Obsolete. metaphorical; symbolic; figurative

Front 137

spiritual

Back 137

of, pertaining to, or consisting of spirit; incorporeal.

Front 138

verification

Back 138

confirmation

Front 139

snide

Back 139

derogatory in a nasty, insinuating manner: snide remarks about his boss.

Front 140

table

Back 140

to remove (as a parliamentary motion) from consideration indefinitely

Front 141

intemperance

Back 141

excessive or immoderate indulgence in alcoholic beverages

Front 142

incense

Back 142

to inflame with wrath; make angry; enrage.

Front 143

trudge

Back 143

to walk, esp. laboriously or wearily: to trudge up a long flight of steps

Front 144

gnaw

Back 144

to bite or chew on, esp. persistently

Front 145

mince

Back 145

move with short, affectedly dainty steps.

Front 146

deliberate

Back 146

carefully weighed or considered; studied; intentional: a deliberate lie

Front 147

flee

Back 147

to move swiftly

Front 148

attenuate

Back 148

to make thin; make slender or fine.

Front 149

assertive

Back 149

confidently aggressive or self-assured; positive: aggressive; dogmatic: He is too assertive as a salesman.

Front 150

expediency

Back 150

appropriateness

advantageousness

Front 151

tiff

Back 151

a slight or petty quarrel.

Front 152

sod

Back 152

the surface of the ground, esp. when covered with grass; turf; sward.

Front 153

prorogue

Back 153

to discontinue a session of (the British Parliament or a similar body).

to defer; postpone

Front 154

thicket

Back 154

a thick or dense growth of shrubs, bushes, or small trees; a thick coppice

Front 155

shroud

Back 155

to wrap or clothe for burial; enshroud

Front 156

vestige

Back 156

a surviving evidence or remainder of some condition, practice

Front 157

flimsy

Back 157

weak; inadequate; not effective or convincing: a flimsy excuse.

Front 158

cad

Back 158

an ill-bred man, esp. one who behaves in a dishonorable or irresponsible way toward women

Front 159

chevron

Back 159

a badge consisting of stripes meeting at an angle

Front 160

huckster

Back 160

a retailer of small articles, esp. a peddler of fruits and vegetables; hawker

Front 161

syncopation

Back 161

a shifting of the normal accent, usually by stressing the normally unaccented beats

Front 162

spleen

Back 162

ill humor, peevish temper, or spite

Front 163

goodwill

Back 163

friendly disposition; benevolence; kindness

Front 164

shiftless

Back 164

lacking in incentive, ambition, or aspiration

Front 165

utter

Back 165

complete; total; absolute

Front 166

shoal

Back 166

a place where a sea, river, or other body of water is shallow.

Front 167

lop

Back 167

to cut off branches, twigs, etc., as of a tree.

Front 168

embolden

Back 168

to make bold or bolder; hearten; encourage

Front 169

volume

Back 169

a set of issues of a periodical, often covering one year.

Front 170

myopia

Back 170

lack of foresight or discernment; obtuseness.

Front 171

posit

Back 171

To assume the existence of; postulate

Front 172

pathological

Back 172

Of, relating to, or manifesting behavior that is habitual, maladaptive, and compulsive: a pathological liar

Front 173

serried

Back 173

pressed together or compacted, as soldiers in rows: serried troops.

Front 174

stowaway

Back 174

a person who hides aboard a ship or airplane in order to obtain free transportation or elude pursuers.

Front 175

crudity

Back 175

the state or quality of being crude

Front 176

sessile

Back 176

permanently attached; not freely moving

Front 177

gelid

Back 177

very cold; icy

Front 178

dastardly

Back 178

cowardly; meanly base; sneaking: a dastardly act.

Front 179

estival

Back 179

pertaining or appropriate to summer.

Front 180

trumpery

Back 180

something without use or value; rubbish; trash; worthless stuff.

Front 181

moiety

Back 181

A part, portion, or share.

Front 182

impish

Back 182

a little devil or demon; an evil spirit.

a mischievous child.

Front 183

doleful

Back 183

sorrowful; mournful; melancholy: a doleful look on her face.

Front 184

sapid

Back 184

agreeable to the taste; palatable

Front 185

twaddle

Back 185

trivial, feeble, silly, or tedious talk or writing

Front 186

risible

Back 186

causing or capable of causing laughter; laughable; ludicrous

Front 187

stark

Back 187

sheer, utter, downright, or complete: stark madness.

Front 188

supernal

Back 188

being in or belonging to the heaven of divine beings; heavenly, celestial, or divine

Front 189

fealty

Back 189

fidelity; faithfulness.

Front 190

teleological

Back 190

the study of the evidences of design or purpose in nature.

Front 191

cognomen

Back 191

any name, esp. a nickname.

Front 192

redress

Back 192

relief from wrong or injury

Front 193

slosh

Back 193

to splash or move through water, mud, or slush.

Front 194

tousle

Back 194

a disordered, disheveled, or tangled condition

Front 195

arrant

Back 195

thoroughgoing, utter, confirmed, flagrant.

Front 196

ersatz

Back 196

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

Front 197

picaresque

Back 197

prankish, rascally, devilish, raffish

Front 198

frothy

Back 198

unsubstantial; trifling; shallow; empty

Front 199

frangible

Back 199

easily broken; breakable: Most frangible toys are not suitable for young children.
Origin:

Front 200

desuetude

Back 200

the state of being no longer used or practiced.

Front 201

hew to

Back 201

To adhere or conform strictly

Front 202

ossify

Back 202

To become set in a rigidly conventional pattern:

Front 203

commingle

Back 203

to mix or mingle together; combine

Front 204

caveat

Back 204

a warning or caution; admonition

Front 205

seraphic

Back 205

one of the celestial beings hovering above God's throne in Isaiah's vision.

Front 206

slog

Back 206

to walk or plod heavily.

Front 207

riven

Back 207

rent or split apart

Front 208

clannish

Back 208

inclined to associate exclusively with the members of one's own group

exclusive, snobbish, distant, aloof, narrow.

Front 209

sprawling

Back 209

To cause to spread out in a straggling or disordered fashion.

Front 210

dreary

Back 210

sorrowful; sad.

Front 211

cosseted

Back 211

to treat as a pet; pamper; coddle.

Front 212

scathing

Back 212

bitterly severe, as a remark: a scathing review of the play.

harmful, injurious, or searing.

Front 213

kith

Back 213

acquaintances, friends, neighbors

Front 214

sacerdotal

Back 214

of priests; priestly.

Front 215

rubicund

Back 215

red or reddish; ruddy: a rubicund complexion.

Front 216

tchotchke

Back 216

an inexpensive souvenir, trinket, or ornament.

Front 217

billingsgate

Back 217

coarsely or vulgarly abusive language.

Front 218

squall

Back 218

a sudden, violent gust of wind, often accompanied by rain, snow, or sleet.

a sudden disturbance or commotion.

Front 219

earshot

Back 219

the range or distance within which a sound, voice, etc., can be heard.

Front 220

gash

Back 220

a long, deep wound or cut; slash.

Front 221

petroglyph

Back 221

a drawing or carving on rock, made by a member of a prehistoric people.

Front 222

blurb

Back 222

a brief advertisement or announcement, esp. a laudatory one

Front 223

gasconade

Back 223

extravagant boasting; boastful talk.

Front 224

hyperborean

Back 224

Very cold; frigid.

Front 225

fulgent

Back 225

shining brightly; dazzling; resplendent: fulgent patterns of sunlight

Front 226

hegira

Back 226

A flight to escape danger.

Front 227

hoyden

Back 227

a boisterous, bold, and carefree girl; a tomboy

Front 228

gamin

Back 228

a neglected boy left to run about the streets; street urchin

Front 229

orotund

Back 229

Pompous and bombastic: orotund talk.

Full in sound; sonorous: orotund tones.

Front 230

mugwump

Back 230

a person who is unable to make up his or her mind on an issue, esp. in politics; a person who is neutral on a controversial issue.

Front 231

maunder

Back 231

to talk in a rambling, foolish, or meaningless way

Front 232

recherche

Back 232

very rare, exotic, or choice; arcane; obscure.

Front 233

senescence

Back 233

growing old; aging

Front 234

acorpous

Back 234

not producing fruit; sterile; barren

Front 235

stertorous

Back 235

characterized by stertor or heavy snoring

Front 236

cognoscitive

Back 236

having the ability to know or discover: cognoscitive powers.

Front 237

trencherman

Back 237

a person who has a hearty appetite; a heavy eate