Big Brother Vocab

Front 1

brogue

Back 1

noun- Definition 1

1. A heavy shoe of untanned leather, formerly worn in Scotland and Ireland.

2. A strong oxford shoe, usually with ornamental perforations and wing tips.

Definition 2:
- any strong regional accent, esp. a strong Irish accent when speaking English

Front 2

regal

Back 2

–adjective

1. of or pertaining to a king; royal:
the regal power.

2. stately; splendid

Front 3

staccato

Back 3

–adjective

characterized by abruptly disconnected, detached elements; disjointed:
staccato style of playing an instrument; Contrast legato (hint)

rapid-fire, staccato speech.

Hint 3

legato: adj

smooth and connected; without breaks between the successive tones.

Front 4

preternatural

Back 4

–adjective

Exceptional, supernatural

preternatural powers.

Front 5

moniker

Back 5

–noun Slang.

a person's name, esp. a nickname or alias

Front 6

fealty

Back 6

–noun, plural -ties.

1. History/Historical.

a. fidelity to a lord.

b. the obligation or the engagement to be faithful to a lord, usually sworn to by a vassal.

2. fidelity; faithfulness.

Front 7

chortle

Back 7

verb

to chuckle gleefully.

Front 8

ornery

Back 8

adj

1. ugly, unpleasant, stubborn
my ornery cousin; ornery mule.

2. inferior, common, ordinary.

Front 9

pageboy

Back 9

noun

–noun

1. a hair style in which the hair is rolled under, usually at shoulder-length.

2. a youth or man who works as a page, as at a hotel.

Front 10

tawny

Back 10

adj.

of a dark yellowish or dull yellowish-brown color.

Front 11

loutish

Back 11

adj.

like or characteristic of a lout; awkward; clumsy; boorish.

Front 12

precocious

Back 12

adj.

–adjective

prematurely developed, esp. the mind

a precocious child.

Front 13

diminutive

Back 13

adj.

small; little; tiny:
a diminutive building for a model-train layout.

Front 14

nonplussed

Back 14

verb

to render utterly perplexed; puzzle completely.

Front 15

bemused

Back 15

verb

to bewilder or confuse (someone).

Front 16

rivulets

Back 16

noun.

A small brook or stream; a streamlet.

Front 17

chignon

Back 17

sheen-yon

noun

a large, smooth twist, roll, or knot of hair, worn by women at the nape of the neck or the back of the head.

Front 18

lithe

Back 18

līth rhymes with dive

adj.

bending readily; pliant; limber; supple; flexible: the lithe body of a ballerina.

Front 19

pneumatic

Back 19

–adjective

1. of or pertaining to air, gases, or wind.

2. Theology. of or pertaining to the spirit; spiritual.

Front 20

creosote

Back 20

cre-o-s0te
(last syllable rhymes with "t0te")

–noun

an oily liquid having a burning taste and a penetrating odor, obtained by the distillation of coal and wood tar, used mainly as a preservative for wood and as an antiseptic.

Front 21

prurience

Back 21

adjective

Inordinately interested in matters of sex; lascivious.

Front 22

plaint

Back 22

–noun

1. a complaint.

2. Law. a statement of grievance made to a court for the purpose of asking redress.

3. a lament; lamentation.

Front 23

mien

Back 23

–noun

air, bearing, or demeanor, as showing character, feeling, etc.: a man of noble mien.

Hint 23

pronunciation:
meen

Front 24

claptrap

Back 24

–noun

1. pretentious, insincere or empty language:
His speeches seem erudite but analysis reveals them to be mere claptrap.

2. A trick or device to gain applause.

Front 25

pentimento

Back 25

noun

the presence or emergence of earlier images, forms, or strokes that have been changed and painted over.

Front 26

factotum

Back 26

noun

a person with many different responsibilities, such as a handyman or public official

Front 27

palpate

Back 27

verb

to examine by touch, esp. for the purpose of diagnosing disease or illness.