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by golgothurteen9gyn, May 2011

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abase	V. lower; humiliate. Defeated, Queen Zenobia was forced to abase herself before the conquering Romans, who made her march in chains before the emperor in the procession celebrating his triumph. abasement, N.	Hector of Troy
abash	V. embarrass. He was not at all abashed by her open admiration.
abet	V. aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourage. She was unwilling to abet him in the swindle he had planned.
abhor	V. detest; hate. She abhorred all forms of bigotry. abhorrence, N.
abnegation	N. repudiation; self-sacrifice. No act of abnegation was more pronounced than his refusal of any rewards for his discovery.
aboriginal	ADJ., N. being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native. Her studies of the primitive art forms of the aboriginal Indians were widely reported in the scientific journals. aborigines, N.
abortive	ADJ. unsuccessful; fruitless. Attacked by armed troops, the Chinese students had to abandon their abortive attempt to democratize Beijing peacefully. abort,V.
abrade	V. wear away by friction; scrape; erode. The sharp rocks abraded the skin on her legs, so she put iodine on her abrasions.
abrasive	ADJ. rubbing away; tending to grind down. Just as abrasive cleaning powders can wear away a shiny finish, abrasive remarks can wear away a listener's patience. abrade,V.
abridge	V. condense or shorten. Because the publishers felt the public wanted a shorter version of War and Peace, they proceeded to abridge the novel.
absolve	V. pardon (an offense). The father confessor absolved him of his sins. absolution, N.
abut	V. border upon; adjoin. Where our estates abut, we must build a fence.
accede	V. agree. If I accede to this demand for blackmail, I am afraid that I will be the victim of future demands.
acclimate	V. adjust to climate. One of the difficulties of our present air age is the need of travelers to acclimate themselves to their new and often strange environments.
acclivity	N. sharp upslope of a hill. The car would not go up the acclivity in high gear.	A "cliff" ivity
accord	N. agreement. She was in complete accord with the verdict.
accost	V. approach and speak first to a person. When the two young men accosted me, I was frightened because I thought they were going to attack me.
accoutre	V. equip. The fisherman was accoutred with the best that the sporting goods store could supply. accoutrements, N.	Mr Dink
acme	N. top; pinnacle. His success in this role marked the acme of his career as an actor.
acrophobia	N. fear of heights. A born salesman, he could convince someone with a bad case of acrophobia to sign up for a life membership in a sky-diving club.
actuarial	ADJ. calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics. According to recent actuarial tables, life expectancy is greater today than it was a century ago.
actuate	V. motivate. I fail to understand what actuated you to reply to this letter so nastily.
acumen	N. mental keenness. His business acumen helped him to succeed where others had failed.
adage	N. wise saying; proverb. There is much truth in the old adage about fools and their money.
addendum	N. an addition or supplement. As an addendum to the minutes, let me point out that Susan moved to appoint Kathy and Arthur to the finance committee.
addle	V. muddle; drive crazy; become rotten. This idiotic plan is confusing enough to addle anyone. addled,ADJ.
adept	ADJ. expert at. She was adept at the fine art of irritating people. also N.
adherent	N. supporter; follower. In the wake of the scandal, the senator's one-time adherents quickly deserted him.
adroit	ADJ. skillful. His adroit handling of the delicate situation pleased his employers.
adulation	N. flattery; admiration. The rock star thrived on the adulation of his groupies and yes men. adulate,V.
advent	N. arrival. Most Americans were unaware of the advent of the Nuclear Age until the news of Hiroshima reached them.
aerie	N. nest of a large bird of prey (eagle, hawk). The mother eagle swooped down on the unwitting rabbit and bore it off to her aerie high in the Rocky Mountains.
affidavit	N. written statement made under oath. The court refused to accept his statement unless he presented it in the form of an affidavit.
affix	V. fasten; attach; add on. First the registrar had to affix her signature to the license; then she had to affix her official seal.
affliction	N. state of distress; cause of suffering. Even in the midst of her affliction, Elizabeth tried to keep up the spirits of those around her.
agglomeration	N. collection; heap. It took weeks to assort the agglomeration of miscellaneous items she had collected on her trip.
aghast	ADJ. horrified. He was aghast at the nerve of the speaker who had insulted his host.
agnostic	N. one who is skeptical of the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimate reality. Agnostics say we can neither prove nor disprove the existence of god; we simply just can't know. alsoADJ.
alcove	N. nook; small, recessed section of a room. Though their apartment lacked a full-scale dining room, an alcove adjacent to the living room made an adequate breakfast nook for the young couple.
alimentary	ADJ. supplying nourishment. The alimentary canal in our bodies is so named because digestion of foods occurs there. When asked for the name of the digestive tract, Sherlock Holmes replied, "Alimentary, my dear Watson."
allegory	N. story in which characters are used as symbols; fable. Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory of the temptations and victories of man's soul. allegorical,ADJ.
alliteration	N. repetition of beginning sound in poetry. "The furrow followed free" is an example of alliteration.
allude	V. refer indirectly. Try not to mention divorce in Jack's presence because he will think you are alluding to his marital problems with Jill.
allusion	N. indirect reference. When Amanda said to the ticket scalper, "One hundred bucks? What do you want, a pound of flesh?," she was making an allusion to Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.
aloft	ADV. upward. The sailor climbed aloft into the rigging. To get into a loft bed, you have to climb aloft.
aloof	ADJ. apart; reserved. Shy by nature, she remained aloof while all the rest conversed.
ambience	N. environment; atmosphere. She went to the restaurant not for the food but for the ambience.
amble	N. moving at an easy pace. When she first mounted the horse, she was afraid to urge the animal to go faster than a gentle amble. alsoV.
ambulatory	ADJ. able to walk; not bedridden. Juan was a highly ambulatory patient; not only did he refuse to be confined to bed, but he insisted on riding his skateboard up and down the halls.
amend	V. correct; change, generally for the better. Hoping to amend his condition, he left Vietnam for the United States.
amiable	ADJ. agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly. In Little Women, Beth is the amiable daughter whose loving disposition endears her to all who know her.
amiss	ADJ. wrong; faulty. Seeing her frown, he wondered if anything were amiss. also ADV.
amorous	ADJ. moved by sexual love; loving. "Love them and leave them" was the motto of the amorous Don Juan.
anathema	N. solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse. The Ayatolla Khomeini heaped anathema upon "the Great Satan," that is, the United States. To the Ayatolla, America and the West were anathema; he loathed the democratic nations, cursing them in his dying words. anathematize,V.
ancillary	ADJ. serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary. In an ancillary capacity, Doctor Watson was helpful; however, Holmes could not trust the good doctor to solve a perplexing case on his own. also N.
anemia	N. condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles. The doctor ascribes her tiredness to anemia. anemic,ADJ.
annals	N. records; history. In the annals of this period, we find no mention of democratic movements.
annex	V. attach; take possession of. Mexico objected to the United States' attempts to annex the territory that later became the state of Texas.
annotate	V. comment; make explanatory notes. In the appendix to the novel, the editor sought to annotate many of the author's more esoteric references.
annuity	N. yearly allowance. The annuity he setup with the insurance company supplements his social security benefits so that he can live very comfortably without working.
annul	v. make void. The parents of the eloped couple tried to annul the marriage.
anoint	V. consecrate. The prophet Samuel anointed David with oil, crowning him king of Israel.
antecede	V. precede. The invention of the radiotelegraph anteceded the development of television by a quarter of a century.
anthropocentric	ADJ. regarding human beings as the center of the universe. Without considering any evidence that might challenge his anthropocentric viewpoint, Hector categorically maintained that dolphins could not be as intelligent as men. anthropocentrism, N.
anthropoid	ADJ. manlike. The gorilla is the strongest of the anthropoid animals. also N.
anticlimax	N. letdown in thought or emotion. After the fine performance in the first act, the rest of the play was an anticlimax. anticlimactic,ADJ.
ape	V. imitate or mimic. He was suspended for a week because he had aped the principal in front of the whole school.
aperture	N. opening; hole. She discovered a small aperture in the wall, through which the insects had entered the room.
aphasia	N. loss of speech due to injury or illness. After the automobile accident, the victim had periods of aphasia when he could not speak at all or could only mumble incoherently.
aphorism	N. pithy maxim. An aphorism differs from an adage in that it is more philosophical or scientific. "The proper study of mankind is man" is an aphorism. "There's no smoke without a fire" is an adage. aphoristic,ADJ.
apiary	N. a place where bees are kept. Although he spent many hours daily in the apiary, he was very seldom stung by a bee.
aplomb	N. poise; assurance. Gwen's aplomb in handling potentially embarrassing moments was legendary around the office; when one of her clients broke a piece of her best crystal, she coolly picked up her own goblet and hurled it into the fireplace.
apocryphal	ADJ. untrue; made up. To impress his friends, Tom invented apocryphal tales of his adventures in the big city.
apostate	N. one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs. Because he switched from one party to another, his former friends shunned him as an apostate. apostasy, N.
append	V. attach. When you append a bibliography to a text, you have just created an appendix.
application (secondary meaning)	N. diligent attention. Pleased with how well Tom had whitewashed the fence, Aunt Polly praised him for his application to the task. apply, V. (secondary meaning)
apprehension	N. fear. His nervous glances at the passersby on the deserted street revealed his apprehension.
aquiline	ADJ. curved, hooked. He can be recognized by his aquiline nose, curved like the beak of the eagle.
arable	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.
arbiter	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.
arbitrator	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.
arboretum	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.
arcade	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.
archetype	N. prototype; primitive pattern. The Brooklyn Bridge was the archetype of the many spans that now connect Manhattan with Long Island and New Jersey.
archipelago	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.
aria	N. operatic solo. At her Metropolitan Opera audition, Marian Anderson sang an aria from Norma.
arid	ADJ. dry; barren. The cactus has adapted to survive in an arid environment.
aromatic	ADJ. fragrant. Medieval sailing vessels brought aromatic herbs from China to Europe.
arraign	V. charge in court; indict. After his indictment by the Grand Jury, the accused man was arraigned in the County Criminal Court.
array (1st meaning)	V. marshal; draw up in order. His actions were bound to array public sentiment against him. also N.
array (2nd meaning)	V. clothe; adorn. She liked to watch her mother array herself in her finest clothes before going out for the evening. also N.
arrears	N. being in debt. He was in arrears with his payments on the car.
arroyo	N. gully. Until the heavy rains of the past spring, this arroyo had been a dry bed.
artifice	N. deception; trickery. The Trojan War proved to the Greeks that cunning and artifice were often more effective than military might.
ascendancy	N. controlling influence; domination. Leaders of religious cults maintain ascendancy over their followers by methods that can verge on brainwashing.
ascertain	V. find out for certain. Please ascertain her present address.
ascribe	V. refer; attribute; assign. I can ascribe no motive for her acts.
ashen	ADJ. ash-colored. Her face was ashen with fear.
askance	ADJ. with a sideways or indirect look. Looking askance at her questioner, she displayed her scorn.
askew	ADJ. crookedly; slanted; at an angle. When he placed his hat askew upon his head, his observers laughed.
aspirant	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.
assay	V. analyze; evaluate. When they assayed the ore, they found that they had discovered a very rich vein. also N.
assent	V. agree; accept. It gives me great pleasure to assent to your request.
astral	ADJ. relating to the stars. She was amazed at the number of astral bodies the new telescope revealed.
astronomical	ADJ. enormously large or extensive. The government seems willing to spend astronomical sums on weapons development.
astute	ADJ. wise; shrewd; keen. The painter was an astute observer, noticing every tiny detail of her model's appearance and knowing exactly how important each one was.
asunder	ADV. into parts; apart. A fierce quarrel split the partnership asunder: the two partners finally sundered their connections because their points of view were poles asunder.
attest	V. testify, bear witness. Having served as a member of the Grand Jury, I can attest that our system of indicting individuals is in need of improvement.
attrition	N. gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment. In the 1960s urban churches suffered from attrition as members moved from the cities to the suburbs. Rather than fire staff members, church leaders followed a policy of attrition, allowing elderly workers to retire without replacing them.
augment	V. increase; add to. Armies augment their forces by calling up reinforcements; teachers augment their salaries by taking odd jobs.
augury	N. omen; prophecy. He interpreted the departure of the birds as an augury of evil. augur,V.
august	ADJ. impressive; majestic. Visiting the palace at Versailles, she was impressed by the august surroundings in which she found herself.
aureole	N. sun's corona; halo. Many medieval paintings depict saintly characters with aureoles around their heads.
auroral	ADJ. pertaining to the aurora borealis. The auroral display was particularly spectacular that evening.
auspicious	ADJ. favoring success. With favorable weather conditions, it was an auspicious moment to set sail. Thomas, however, had doubts about sailing: a paranoid, he became suspicious whenever conditions seemed auspicious.
autocratic	ADJ. having absolute, unchecked power; dictatorial. Someone accustomed to exercising authority may become autocratic if his or her power is unchecked. Dictators by definition are autocrats. Bosses who dictate behavior as well as letters can be autocrats too.
averse	ADJ. reluctant; disinclined. The reporter was averse to revealing the sources of his information.
aviary	N. enclosure for birds. The aviary at the zoo held nearly 300 birds.
avid	ADJ. greedy; eager for. He was avid for learning and read everything he could get. avidity, N.
avow	V. declare openly. Lana avowed that she never meant to steal Debbie's boyfriend, but no one believed her avowal of innocence.
badger	V. pester; annoy. She was forced to change her telephone number because she was badgered by obscene phone calls.
badinage	N. teasing conversation. Her friends at work greeted the news of her engagement with cheerful badinage.
baleful	ADJ. deadly; having a malign influence; ominous. The fortune teller made baleful predictions of terrible things to come.
ballast	N. heavy substance used to add stability or weight. The ship was listing badly to one side; it was necessary to shift the ballast in the hold to get her back on an even keel. alsoV.
balmy	ADJ. mild; fragrant. A balmy breeze refreshed us after the sultry blast.
bandy	V. discuss lightly or glibly; exchange (words) heatedly. While the president was happy to bandy patriotic generalizations with anyone who would listen to him, he refused to bandy words with unfriendly reporters at the press conference.
barb	N. sharp projection from fishhook, etc.; openly cutting remark. If you were a politician, which would you prefer, being caught on the barb of a fishhook or being subjected to malicious verbal barbs? Who can blame the president if he's happier fishing than back in the capitol listening to his critics' barbed remarks?
baroque	ADJ. highly ornate. Accustomed to the severe lines of contemporary buildings, the architecture students found the flamboyance of baroque architecture amusing. They simply didn't go for baroque.
bastion	N. fortress; defense. The villagers fortified the town hall, hoping this improvised bastion could protect them from the guerillas' raids. .
bate	V. let down; restrain. Until it was time to open the presents, the children had to bate their curiosity. bated,ADJ.
bauble	N. trinket; trifle. The child was delighted with the bauble she had won in the grab bag.
beatific	ADJ. giving bliss; blissful. The beatific smile on the child's face made us very happy.
beatitude	N. blessedness; state of bliss. Growing closer to God each day, the mystic achieved a state of indescribable beatitude.
bedraggle	V. wet thoroughly; stain with mud. We were so bedraggled by the severe storm that we had to change into dry clothing. bedraggled,ADJ.
beeline	N. direct, quick route. As soon as the movie was over, Jim made a beeline for the exit.
belabor	V. explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; attack verbally. The debate coach warned her student not to bore the audience by belaboring her point.
befuddle	V. confuse thoroughly. His attempts to clarify the situation succeeded only in befuddling her further.
beget	V. father; produce; give rise to. One good turn may deserve another; it does not necessarily beget another.
begrudge	V. resent. I begrudge every minute I have to spend attending meetings; they're a complete waste of time.
belated	ADJ. delayed. He apologized for his belated note of condolence to the widow of his friend and explained that he had just learned of her husband's untimely death.
beleaguer	V. besiege or attack; harassed. The babysitter was surrounded by a crowd of unmanageable brats who relentlessly beleaguered her.
bemused	ADJ. confused; lost in thought; preoccupied. Jill studied the garbled instructions with a bemused look on her face.
benediction	N. blessing. The appearance of the sun after the many rainy days was like a benediction.
bent	ADJ; N. determined; natural talent or inclination. Bent on advancing in the business world, the secretary-heroine of Working Girl has a true bent for high finance.
berate	V. scold strongly. He feared she would berate him for his forgetfulness.
bereft	ADJ. deprived of; lacking; desolate because of a loss. The foolish gambler soon found himself bereft of funds.
beseech	V. beg; plead with. The workaholic executive's wife beseeched him to spend more time with their son.
beset	V. harass or trouble; hem in. Many vexing problems beset the American public school system. Sleeping Beauty's castle was beset on all sides by dense thickets that hid it from view.
besiege	V. surround with armed forces; harass (with requests). When the bandits besieged the village, the villagers holed up in the town hall and prepared to withstand a long siege. Members of the new administration were besieged with job applications from people who had worked on the campaign.
besmirch	V. soil, defile. The scandalous remarks in the newspaper besmirch the reputations of every member of the society.
betoken	V. signify; indicate. The well-equipped docks, tall piles of cargo containers, and numerous vessels being loaded all betoken Oakland's importance as a port.
betroth	V. become engaged to marry. The announcement that they had become betrothed surprised their friends who had not suspected any romance. betrothal, N.
bevy	N. large group. The movie actor was surrounded by a bevy of starlets.
bilious	ADJ. suffering from indigestion; irritable. His bilious temperament was apparent to all who heard him rant about his difficulties.
bilk	V. swindle; cheat. The con man specialized in bilking insurance companies.
bivouac	N. temporary encampment. While in bivouac, we spent the night in our sleeping bags under the stars. alsoV.
blanch	V. bleach; whiten. Although age had blanched his hair, he was still vigorous and energetic.
blighted	ADJ. suffering from a disease; destroyed. The extent of the blighted areas could be seen only when viewed from the air.
blithe	ADJ. gay; joyous; heedless. Shelley called the skylark a "blithe spirit" because of its happy song.
bluff	ADJ. rough but good-natured. Jack had a bluff and hearty manner that belied his actual sensitivity; he never let people know how thin-skinned he really was.
bluster	V. blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully. "Let the stormy winds bluster," cried Jack, "we'll set sail tonight." Jill let Jack bluster. she wasn't going anywhere, no matter what he said.
bohemian	ADJ. unconventional (in an artistic way). Gertrude Stein ran off to Paris to live an eccentric, bohemian life with her writer friends. Oakland was not bohemian: it was too bourgeois, too middle-class.
bourgeois	ADJ. middle class; selfishly materialistic; dully conventional. Technically, anyone who belongs to the middle class is bourgeois, but, given the word's connotations, most people resent it if you call them that.
bowdlerize	V. expurgate. After the film editors had bowdlerized the language in the script, the motion picture's rating was changed from "R" to "PG."
braggart	N. boaster. Modest by nature, she was no braggart, preferring to let her accomplishments speak for themselves.
brindled	ADJ. tawny or grayish with streaks or spots. He was disappointed in the litter because the puppies were brindled, he had hoped for animals of a uniform color.
bristling	ADJ. rising like bristles; showing irritation. The dog stood there, bristling with anger.
brooch	N. ornamental clasp. She treasured the brooch because it was an heirloom.
browbeat	V. bully; intimidate. Billy resisted Ted's attempts browbeat him into handing over his lunch money.
brusque	ADJ. blunt; abrupt. Was Bruce too brusque when he brushed off Bob's request with a curt "Not now!"?
buffet	V. slap; batter; knock about. To buffet something is to rough it up. (Buffet rhymes with Muffett.) Was Miss Muffett buffeted by the crowd on the way to the buffet tray?
bulwark	N. earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends. The navy is our principal bulwark against invasion.
bumptious	ADJ. self-assertive. His classmates called him a show-off because of his bumptious airs.
burlesque	V. give an imitation that ridicules. In Spaceballs, Rick Moranis burlesques Darth Vader of Star Wars, outrageously parodying Vader's stiff walk and hollow voice.
cadence	N. rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds); beat. Marching down the road, the troops sang out, following the cadence set by the sergeant.
cajole	V. coax; wheedle. Diane tried to cajole her father into letting her drive the family car. cajolery, N.
callow	ADJ. youthful; immature; inexperienced. As a freshman, Jack was sure he was a man of the world; as a sophomore, he made fun of freshmen as callow youths. In both cases, his judgment showed just how callow he was.
calorific	ADJ. heat-producing. Coal is much more calorific than green wood.
candor	N. frankness; open honesty. Jack can carry candor too far: when he told Jill his honest opinion of her, she nearly slapped his face. candid,ADJ.
canny	ADJ. shrewd; thrifty. The canny Scotsman was more than a match for the swindlers.
cantata	N. story set to music, to be sung by a chorus. The choral society sang the new cantata composed by its leader.
canter	N. slow gallop. Because the racehorse had outdistanced its competition so easily, the reporter wrote that the race was won in a canter. alsoV.
canto	N. division of a long poem. Dante's poetic masterpiece The Divine Comedy is divided into cantos.
careen	V. lurch; sway from side to side. The taxicab careened wildly as it rounded the corner.
cataract	N. great waterfall; eye abnormality. She gazed with awe at the mighty cataract known as Niagara Falls.
catcall	N. shout of disapproval; boo. Every major league pitcher has off days during which he must learn to ignore the catcalls and angry hisses from the crowd.
catechism	N. FAQ,Q&A/book for religious instruction; instruction by question and answer. He taught by engaging his pupils in a catechism until they gave him the correct answer.
catharsis	N. purging or cleansing of any passage of the body. Aristotle maintained that tragedy created a catharsis by purging the soul of base concepts.
catholic	ADJ. broadly sympathetic; liberal. He was extremely catholic in his taste and read everything he could find in the library.
caulk	V. make watertight by filling in cracks. Jack had to caulk the tiles in the shower stall to stop the leak into the basement below.
cavalcade	N. procession; parade. As described by Chaucer, the cavalcade of Canterbury pilgrims was a motley group.
cavil	V. make frivolous objections. It's fine when you make sensible criticisms, but it really bugs me when you cavil about unimportant details. also N.
censorious	ADJ. critical. Censorious people delight in casting blame.
censure	V. blame; criticize. The senator was censured for behavior inappropriate to a member of Congress. also N.
cessation	N. stoppage. The airline's employees threatened a cessation of all work if management failed to meet their demands. cease,V.
cession	N. yielding to another; ceding. The cession of Alaska to the United States is discussed in this chapter.
cession	N. yielding to another; ceding. The cession of Alaska to the United States is discussed in this chapter.
chafe	V. warm by rubbing; make sore (by rubbing). Chilled, he chafed his hands before the fire. The collar of his school uniform chafed Tom's neck, but not as much the school's strict rules chafed his spirit. also N.
chaff	N. worthless products of an endeavor. When you separate the wheat from the chaff, be sure you throw out the chaff.
chaffing	ADJ. bantering; joking. Sometimes Chad's flippant, chaffing remarks annoy us. Still, Chad's chaffing keeps us laughing. also N.
chagrin	N. vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride); disappointment. Embarrassed by his parents' shabby, working-class appearance, Doug felt their visit to his school would bring him nothing but chagrin. Someone filled with chagrin doesn't grin: he's too mortified.
chalice	N. goblet; consecrated cup. In a small room adjoining the cathedral, many ornately decorated chalices made by the most famous European goldsmiths were on display.
chary	ADJ. cautious; sparing or restrained about giving. A prudent, thrifty, New Englander, DeWitt was as chary of investing money in junk bonds as he was chary of paying people unnecessary compliments.
chaste	ADJ. pure. Her chaste and decorous garb was appropriately selected for the solemnity of the occasion. chastity, N.
chastise	V. punish. I must chastise you for this offense.
chauvinist	N. blindly devoted patriot. A chauvinist cannot recognize any faults in his country, no matter how flagrant they may be. Likewise, a male chauvinist cannot recognize his bias in favor of his own sex, no matter how flagrant that may be. chauvinistic,ADJ.
check (secondary meaning)	V. stop motion; curb or restrain. Thrusting out her arm, Grandma checked Bobby's lunge at his sister. "Young man," she said, "you'd better check your temper." (secondary meaning)
checkered	ADJ. marked by changes in fortune. During his checkered career he had lived in palatial mansions and in dreary boardinghouses.
cherubic	ADJ. angelic; innocent-looking. With her cheerful smile and rosy cheeks, she was a particularly cherubic child.
chide	V. scold. Grandma began to chide Steven for his lying.
chimerical	ADJ. fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; imaginative. As everyone expected, Ted's chimerical scheme to make a fortune by raising ermines in his back yard proved a dismal failure.
choleric	ADJ. hot-tempered. His flushed, angry face indicated a choleric nature.
chortle	V. chuckle with delight. When she heard that her rival had just been jailed for embezzlement, she chortled with joy. She was not a nice lady.
cipher (1st meaning)	N. secret code. Lacking his code book, the spy was unable to decode the message sent to him in cipher.
cipher (2nd meaning)	N. nonentity; worthless person or thing. She claimed her ex-husband was a total cipher and wondered why she had ever married him.
circumlocution	N. indirect or roundabout expression. He was afraid to call a spade a spade and resorted to circumlocutions to avoid direct reference to his subject.
cistern	N. reservoir or water tank. The farmers were able to withstand the dry season by using rainwater they had stored in an underground cistern.
clamber	V. climb by crawling. She clambered over the wall.
clandestine	ADJ. secret. After avoiding their chaperon, the lovers had a clandestine meeting.
clangor	N. loud, resounding noise. The blacksmith was accustomed to the clangor of hammers on steel.
clapper	N. striker (tongue) of a bell. Wishing to be undisturbed by the bell, Dale wound his scarf around the clapper to muffle the noise of its striking.
clasp	N. fastening device; firm grip. When the clasp on Judy's bracelet broke, Fred repaired it, bending the hook back into shape. He then helped her slip on the bracelet, holding it firm in the sure clasp of his hand.
clemency	N. disposition to be lenient; mildness, as of the weather. The lawyer was pleased when the case was sent to Judge Smith's chambers because Smith was noted for her clemency toward first offenders.
clime	N. region; climate. His doctor advised him to move to a milder clime.
cloying	ADJ. distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental. Disliking the cloying sweetness of standard wedding cakes, Jody and Tom chose to have homemade carrot cake at the reception. cloy,V.
codicil	N. supplement to the body of a will. Miss Havisham kept her lawyers busy drawing up codicils to add to her already complicated will.
cogitate	V. think over. Cogitate on this problem; the solution will come.
cognate	ADJ. related linguistically: allied by blood: similar or akin in nature. The English word "mother" is cognate to the Latin word "mater," whose influence is visible in the words "maternal" and "maternity." also N.
coiffure	N. hairstyle. You can make a statement with your choice of coiffure: in the sixties many African Americans affirmed their racial heritage by wearing their hair in Afros.
colander	N. utensil with perforated bottom used for straining. Before serving the spaghetti, place it in a colander to drain it.
collate	V. examine in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order. They collated the newly found manuscripts to determine their age.
comely	ADJ. attractive; agreeable. I would rather have a poor and comely wife than a rich and homely one.
comeuppance	N. rebuke; deserts. After his earlier rudeness, we were delighted to see him get his comeuppance.
commandeer	V. to draft for military purposes; to take for public use. The policeman commandeered the first car that approached and ordered the driver to go to the nearest hospital.
commodious	ADJ. spacious and comfortable. After sleeping in small roadside cabins, they found their hotel suite commodious.
compact	N. agreement; contract. The signers of the Mayflower Compact were establishing a form of government.
compelling	ADJ. overpowering; irresistible in effect. The prosecutor presented a well-reasoned case, but the defense attorney's compelling arguments for leniency won over the jury.
complicity	N. participation; involvement. You cannot keep your complicity in this affair secret very long; you would be wise to admit your involvement immediately.
concerted	ADJ. mutually agreed on; done together. All the Girl Scouts made a concerted effort to raise funds for their annual outing. When the movie star appeared, his fans let out a concerted sigh.
connivance	N. assistance; pretense of ignorance of sth. wrong; permission to offend. With the connivance of his friends, he plotted to embarrass the teacher. connive, V.
connubial	ADJ. pertaining to marriage or the matrimonial state. In his telegram, he wished the newlyweds a lifetime of connubial bliss.
conservatory	N. school of the fine arts (esp. music or drama). A gifted violinist, Marya was selected to study at the consevatory.
consign	V. deliver officially; entrust; set apart. The court consigned the child to her paternal grandmother's care. consignment, N.
console	V. lessen sadness or disappointment; give comfort. When her father died, Marius did his best to console Cosette.
consonance	N. harmony; agreement. Her agitation seemed out of consonance with her usual calm.
constituent	N. supporter. The congressman received hundreds of letters from angry constituents after the Equal Rights Amendment failed to pass.
constraint	N. compulsion; repression of feelings. There was a feeling of constraint in the room because no one dared to criticize the speaker. constrain, V.
consummate	ADJ. complete. I have never seen anyone who makes as many stupid errors as you do; what a consummate idiot you are! also V.
contagion	N. infection. Fearing contagion, they took great steps to prevent the spread of the disease.
contrived	ADJ. forced; artificial; not spontaneous. Feeling ill at ease with his new in-laws, James made a few contrived attempts at conversation and then retreated into silence.
controvert	V. oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict. The witness's testimony was so cleat and her reputation for honesty so well-established that the defense attorney decided it was wiser to make no attempt to controvert what she said.
contusion	N. bruise. Black and blue after her fall, Sue was treated for contusions and abrasions.
conversant	ADJ. familiar with. The lawyer is conversant with all the evidence.
conveyance	V. vehicle; transfer. During the transit strike, commuters used various kinds of conveyances.
cordial	ADJ. gracious; heartfelt. Our hosts greeted us at the airport with a cordial welcome and a hearty hug.
corollary	N. consequence; accompaniment. Brotherly love is a complex emotion, with sibling rivalry its natural corollary.
corporeal	ADJ. bodily; material. The doctor had no patience with spiritual matters: his job was to attend to his patients' corporeal problems, not to minister to their souls.
corpulent	ADJ. very fat. The corpulent man resolved to reduce. corpulence, N.
corrugated	ADJ. wrinkled; ridged. She wished she could smooth away the wrinkles from his corrugated brow.
coterie	N. group that meets socially; select circle. After his book has been published, he was invited to join the literary coterie that lunched daily at the hotel.
countenance (1st meaning)	V. approve; tolerate. He refused to countenance such rude behavior on their part.
countenance (2nd meaning)	N. face. When Jose saw his newborn daughter, a proud smile spread across his countenance.
covenant	N. agreement. We must comply with the terms of the covenant.
cow	V. terrorize; intimidate. The little boy was so cowed by the hulking bully that he gave up his lunch money without a word of protest.
coy	ADJ. shy; modest; coquettish. Reluctant to commit herself so early in the game, Kay was coy in her answers to Ken's offer.
crabbed	ADJ. sour; peevish. The crabbed old man was avoided by the children because he scolded them when they made noise.
crass	ADJ. very unrefined; grossly insensible. The film critic deplored the crass commercialism of movie-makers who abandon artistic standards in order to make a quick buck.
crest	N. highest point of a hill; foamy top of a wave. Fleeing the tidal wave, the islanders scrambled to reach the crest of Mount Lucinda. With relief, they watched the crest of the wave break well below their vantage point.
crestfallen	ADJ. dejected; dispirited. We were surprised at his reaction to the failure of his project; instead of being crestfallen, his was busily engaged in planning new activities.
criterion	N. standard used in judging. What criterion did you use when you selected this essay as the prizewinner? criteria, pl.
crotchety	ADJ. eccentric; whimscal. Although he was reputed to be a crotchety old man, I found his ideas substantially sound and sensible.
crux	N. crucial point. This is the crux of the entire problem: everything enters on its being resolved.
cull	V. pick out; reject. Every month the farmer culls the nonlaying hens from his flock and sells them to the local butcher. also N.
culvert	N. artificial channel for water. If we build a culvert under the road at this point, we will reduce the possibility of the road's being flooded during the rainy season.
cupidity	N. greed. The defeated people could not satisfy the cupidity of the conquerors, who demanded excessive tribute.
curmudgeon	N. churlish, miserly individual. Although he was regarded by many as a curmudgeon, a few of us were aware of the many kindness and acts of charity that he secretly performed.
cursive	ADJ. flowing, running. In normal writing we run our letters together in cursive form; in printing, we separate the letters.
cynosure	N. the object of general attention. As soon as the movie star entered the room, she became the cynosure of all eyes.
dais	N. raised platform for guests of honor. When he approached the dais,he was greeted by cheers from the people who had come to honor him.
dappled	ADJ. spotted. The sunlight filtering through the screens created a dapled effect on the wall.
daub	V.smear (as with paint). From the way he daubed his
dawdle	V.loiter; waste time. We have to meet a deadline. Don't dawdle, just get back to work.
deadpan	ADJ. wooden; impersonal. We wanted to see how long he could maintain his deadpan expression.
declivity	N. downward slope. The children loved to ski down the declivity.
decollete	ADJ. having a low-necked dress. Current fashion decrees that evening gowns be decollete this season; bare shoulders are again the vogue.
defray	V. pay the costs of. Her employer offered to defray the costs of her postgraduate education.
deft	ADJ. neat; skillful. The deft waiter uncorked the champagne without spilling a drop.
delectable	ADJ. delightful; delicious. We thanked our host for a most delectable meal.
deleterious	ADJ. harmful. If you believe that smoking is deleterious to your health (and the Surgeon General certainly does), then quit!
delirium	N. mental disorder marked by confusion. In his delirium, the drunkard saw pink panthers and talking pigs. Perhaps he wasn't delirious: he might just have wandered into a movie.
demagogue	N. person who appeals to people's prejudice; false leader of people. He was accused of being a demagogue because he made promises that aroused futile hopes in his listeners.
demure	ADJ. grave; serious; coy. She was demure and reserved, a nice modest girl whom any young man would be proud to take home to his mother.
denotation	N. meaning; distinguishing by name. A dictionary will always give us the denotation of a word; frequently, it will also give us the connotations. denote,V.
depose	V. dethrone; remove from office. The army attempted to depose the king and set up a military government.
deposition	N. testimony under oath. He made his deposition in the judge's chamber.
depravity	N. extreme corruption; wickedness. The depravity of Caligula's behavior came to sicken even those who had willingly participated in his earlier, comparatively innocent orgies.
deprecate	V. express disapproval of; protest against; belittle. A firm believer in old-fashioned courtesy, Miss Post deprecated the modern tendency to address new acquaintances by their first names. deprecatory,ADJ.
depredation	N. plundering. After the depredations of the invaders, the people were penniless.
descant	V. discuss fully. He was willing to descant upon any topic of conversation, even when he knew very little about the subject under discussion. also N.
descry	V. catch sight of. In the distance, we could barely descry the enemy vessels.
despoil	V. plunder. If you do not yield, I am afraid the enemy will despoil the countryside.
despondent	ADJ. depressed; gloomy. To the dismay of his parents, William became seriously despondent after he broke up with Jan; they despaired of finding a cure for his gloom. despondency, N.
devious	ADJ. roundabout; erratic; not straightforward. The Joker's plan was so devious that it was only with great difficulty we could follow its shifts and dodges.
dialectical	ADJ.relating to the art of debate; mutual or reciprocal. The debate coach's students grew to develop great forensic and dialectical skill. Teaching, however, is an inherently dialactical situation: the coach learned at least as much from her students as the learned from her. dialectics, N.
dictum	N.authoritative and weighty statement; saying;maxim. University administrations still follow the old dictum of "Publish or perish." They don't care how good a teacher you are; if you don't publish enough papers, you're out of a job.
didactic	ADJ.teaching; instructional. Pope's lengthy poem An Essay on Man is too didactic for my taste: I dislike it
din	N.continued loud noise. The din of the jackhammers outside the classroom window drowned out the lecturer's voice.
dinghy	N.small ship's boat. In the film Lifeboat, an ill-assorted group of passengers from a sunken ocean liner are marooned at sea in a dinghy
dingy	ADJ.dull; not fresh; cheerless. Refusing to be depressed by her dingy studio apartment, Bea spent the weekend polishing the floors and windows and hanging bright posters on the wall.
dint	N.means; effort. By dint of much hard work, the volunteers were able to control the raging forest fire.
disaffected	ADJ.disloyal. Once the most loyal of Bradleys supporters, Senator Moyhihan found himself becoming increasingly disaffected.
discombobulated	ADJ.confused; discomposed. The novice square dancer became so discombobulated that he wandered into the wrong set.
disconsolate	ADJ. sad. The death of his wife left him disconsolate.
discursive	ADJ. digressing; rambling. As the lecturer wandered from topic to topic, we wondered what if any point there was to his discursive remarks.
disgorge	V. surrender something; eject; vomit. Unwilling to disgorge the cash he had stolen from the pension fund, the embezzler tried to run away.
disheveled	ADJ. untidy. Your disheveled appearance will hurt your chances in this interview.
disinter	V. dig up; unearth. They disinterred the body and held an autopsy.
dispatch	N. speediness; prompt execution; message sent with all due speed. Young Napoleon defeated the enemy with all possible dispatch; he then sent a dispatch to headquarters informing his commander of the great victory. alsoV.
disputatious	ADJ. argumentative; fond of arguing. Convinced he knew more than his lawyers, Alan was a disputatious client, ready to argue about the best way to conduct the case. disputant, N.
dissimulate	V. pretend; conceal by feigning. She tried to dissimulate her grief by her exuberant attitude.
dissipate	V. squander; waste; scatter. He is a fine artist, but I fear he may dissipate his gifts if he keeps wasting his time playing games.
doff	V. take off. A gentleman used to doff his hat to a lady.
dogged	ADJ. determined; stubborn. Les Miserables tells of Inspector Javert's long, dogged pursuit of the criminal Jean Valjean.
doggerel	N. poor verse. Although we find occasional snatches of genuine poetry in her work, most of her writing is mere doggerel.
doldrums	N. blues; listlessness; slack period. Once the excitement of meeting her deadline was over, she found herself in the doldrums.
domicile	N. home. Although his legal domicile was in New York City, his work kept him away from his residence for many years. alsoV.
dormer	N. window projecting from roof. In remodeling the attic into a bedroom, we decided that we needed to put in dormers to provide sufficient ventilation for the new room.
dossier	N. file of documents on a subject. Ordered by J. Edgar Hoover to investigate the senator, the FBI compiled a complete dossieron him.
dote	V. be excessively fond of; show signs of mental decline. Not only grandmothers bore you with stories about their brilliant grandchildren; grandfathers dote on the little rascals, too. Poor old Alf clearly doted: the senile old dotard was past it; in fact, he was in his dotage.
dowdy	ADJ. slovenly; untidy. She tried to change her dowdy image by buying a new fashionable wardrobe.
draconian	ADJ. extremely severe. When the principal canceled the senior prom because some seniors had been late to school that week, we thought the draconian punishment was far too harsh for such a minor violation of the rules.
dregs	N. sediment; worthless residue. David poured the wine carefully to avoid stirring up the dregs.
droll	ADJ. queer and amusing. He was a popular guest because his droll anecdotes were always entertaining.
dubious	ADJ. questionable; filled with doubt. Many critics of SAT I contend the test is of dubious worth. Jay claimed he could get a perfect 1600 on SAT I, but Ellen was dubious: she knew he hadn't cracked a book in three years.
ductile	ADJ. malleable; flexible; pliable. Copper is an extremely ductile material: you can stretch it into the thinnest of wires, bend it, even wind it into loops.
dulcet	ADJ. sweet sounding. The dulcet sounds of the birds at dawn were soon drowned out by the roar of traffic passing our motel.
duress	N. forcible restraint, especially unlawfully. The hostages were held under duress until the prisoners' demands were met.
earthy	ADJ. unrefined; coarse. His earthy remarks often embarrassed the women in his audience.
ebb	V. recede; lessen. Sitting on the beach, Mrs. Dalloway watched the tide ebb: the waters receded, drawing away from her as she sat there all alone. also N.
ecclesiastic	ADJ. pertaining to the church. The minister donned his ecclesiastic garb and walked to the pulpit. also N.
edict	N. decree (especially issued by a sovereign); official command. The emperor issued an edict decreeing that everyone should come see him model his magnificent new clothes.
edify	V. instruct; correct morally. Although his purpose was to edify and not to entertain his audience, many of his listeners were amused rather than enlightened.
efface	V. rub out. The coin had been handled so many times that its date had been effaced.
effectual	ADJ. able to produce a desired effect; valid. Medical researchers are concerned because of the development of drug-resistant strains of bacteria; many once useful antibiotics are no longer effectual in curing bacterial infections.
egregious	ADJ. notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking. She was an egregious liar; we all knew better than to believe a word she said. Ed's housekeeping was egregious: he let his dirty dishes pile up so long that they were stuck together with last week's food.
egress	N. exit. Barnum's sign "To the Egress" fooled many people who thought they were going to see an animal and instead found themselves in the street.
ellipsis	N. omission of words from a text. Sometimes an ellipsis can lead to a dangling modifier, as in the sentence "Once dressed, you should refrigerate the potato salad."
emendation	N. correction of errors; improvement. Please initial all the emendations you have made in this contract.
encumber	V. burden. Some people encumber themselves with too much luggage when they take short trips.
enmity	N. ill will; hatred. At Camp David, President Carter labored to bring an end to the enmity that prevented the peaceful coexistence of Egypt and Israel.
ennui	N. boredom. The monotonous routine of hospital life induced a feeling of ennui that made him moody and irritable.
enrapture	V. please intensely. The audience was enraptured by the freshness of the voices and the excellent orchestration.
ensconce	V. settle comfortably. Now that their children were ensconced safely in the private school, the jet-setting parents decided to leave for Europe.
entreat	V. plead; ask earnestly. She entreated her father to let her stay out till midnight.
epicure	N. connoisseur of food and drink. Epicures frequent this restaurant because it features exotic wines and dishes. epicurean,ADJ.
epistolary	ADJ. consisting of letters. Mark Harris's Wake Up, Stupid! is a modern epistolary novel that uses letters, telegrams, and newspaper clippings to tell the hero's story. The movie You've Got Mail tells a story using e-mail; does that make it an e-pistolary movie? epistle, N.
epitaph	N. inscription in memory of a dead person. In his will, he dictated the epitaph he wanted placed on his tombstone.
equestrian	N. rider on horseback. These paths in the park are reserved for equestrians and their steeds. also ADJ.
equine	ADJ. resembling a horse. His long, bony face had an equine look to it.
equitable	ADJ. fair; impartial. I am seeking an equitable solution to this dispute, one that will be fair and acceptable to both sides.
equity	N. fairness; justice. Our courts guarantee equity to all.
eschew	V. avoid. Hoping to present himself to his girlfriend as a totally reformed character, he tried to eschew all the vices, especially chewing tobacco and drinking bathtub gin.
estranged	ADJ. separated; alienated. The estranged wife sought a divorce. estrangement, N.
ethereal	ADJ. light; heavenly; unusually refined. In Shakespeare's The Tempest, the spirit Ariel is an ethereal creature, too airy and unearthly for our mortal world.
evanescent	ADJ. fleeting; vanishing. Brandon's satisfaction in his new job was evanescent, for he immediately began to notice its many drawbacks. evanescence, N.
ewe	N. female sheep. The flock of sheep was made up of dozens of ewes, together with only a handful of rams.
exacting	ADJ. extremely demanding. Cleaning the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was an exacting task, one that demanded extremely meticulous care on the part of the restorers. exaction, N.
exceptionable	ADJ. objectionable. Do you find the punk rock band Green Day a highly exceptionable, thoroughly distasteful group, or do you think they are exceptionally talented performers?
excise	V. cut away; cut out. When you excise the dead and dying limbs of a tree, you not only improve its appearance but also enhance its chances of bearing fruit. excision. N.
excoriate	V. scold with biting harshness; strip the skin off. Seeing the holes in Bill's new pants, his mother furiously excoriated him for ruining his good clothes. The tight, starched collar chafed and excoriated his neck, rubbing it raw.
expedient	ADJ. suitable; practical; politic. A pragmatic politician, he was guided by what was expedient rather than by what was ethical. expediency, N.
expletive	N. interjection; profane oath. The sergeant's remarks were filled with expletives that offended the new recruits.
expunge	V. cancel; remove. If you behave, I will expunge this notation from your record.
expurgate	V. clean; remove offensive parts of a book. The editors felt that certain passages in the book had to be expurgated before it could be used in the classroom.
extenuate	V. weaken; mitigate. It is easier for us to extenuate our own shortcomings than those of others.
extol	V. praise; glorify. The president extolled the astronauts, calling them the pioneers of the Space Age.
extort	V. wring from; get money by threats, etc. The blackmailer extorted money from his victim.
extricate	V. free; disentangle. Icebreakers were needed to extricate the trapped whales from the icy floes that closed them in.
exude	V. discharge; give forth. We get maple syrup from the sap that exudes from the trees in early spring. exudation, N.
facile	ADJ. easily accomplished; ready or fluent; superficial. Words came easily to Jonathan: he was a facile speaker and prided himself on being ready to make a speech at a moment's notice.
facsimile	N. COPY. Many museums sell facsimiles of the works of art on display.
fastidious	ADJ. difficult to please; squeamish. Bobby was such a fastidious eater that he would eat a sandwich only if his mother first cut off every scrap of crust.
fecundity	N. fertility; fruitfulness. The fecundity of his mind is illustrated by the many vivid images in his poems.
feign	V. pretend. Lady Macbeth feigned illness although she was actually healthy.
felicity	N. happiness; appropriateness (of a remark, choice, etc.). She wrote a note to the newlyweds wishing them great felicity in their wedded life.
ferment	N. agitation; commotion. With the breakup of the Soviet Union, much of Eastern Europe was in a state of ferment.
fester	V. rankle; produce irritation or resentment. Joe's insult festered in Anne's mind for days, and made her too angry to speak to him.
fitful	ADJ. spasmodic; intermittent; irregular. After several fitful attempts, he decided to postpone the start of the project until he felt more energetic.
flair	N. talent. She has an uncanny flair for discovering new artists before the public has become aware of their existence.
fleck	V. spot. Her cheeks, flecked with tears, were testimony to the hours of weeping.
flippant	ADJ. lacking proper seriousness. When Mark told Mona he loved her, she dismissed his earnest declaration with a flippant "Oh, you say that to all the girls!" flippancy, N.
flit	V. fly; dart lightly; pass swiftly by. Like a bee flitting from flower to flower, Rose flitted from one boyfriend to the next.
floe	N. mass of floating ice. The ship made slow progress as it battered its way through the ice floes.
flout	V. reject; mock. The headstrong youth flouted all authority; he refused to be curbed.
fluster	V. confuse. The teacher's sudden question flustered him and he stammered his reply.
foil	N. contrast. In Star Wars, dark, evil Darth Vader is a perfect foil for fair-haired, naive Luke Skywalker.
fop	N. dandy; man excessively concerned with his clothes. People who dismissed young Mizrahi as a fop felt chagrined when he turned into one of the top fashion designers of his day. foppish,ADJ.
foreboding	N. premonition of evil. Suspecting no conspiracies against him, Caesar gently ridiculed his wife's forebodings about the Ides of March.
forlorn	ADJ. sad and lonely; wretched. Deserted by her big sisters and her friends, the forlorn child sat sadly on the steps awaiting their return.
fortuitous	ADJ. accidental; by chance. Though he pretended their encounter was fortuitous, he'd actually been hanging around her usual haunts for the past two weeks, hoping she'd turn up.
frenetic	ADJ. frenzied; frantic. His frenetic activities convinced us that he had no organized plan of operation.
frivolous	ADJ. lacking in seriousness; self-indulgently carefree; relatively unimportant. Though Nancy enjoyed Bill's frivolous, lighthearted companionship, she sometimes wondered whether he could ever be serious. frivolity, N.
frond	N. fern leaf; palm or banana leaf. After the storm the beach was littered with the fronds of palm trees.
fulcrum	N. support on which a lever rests. If we use this stone as a fulcrum and the crowbar as a lever, we may be able to move this boulder.
furtive	ADJ. stealthy; sneaky. Noticing the furtive glance the customer gave the diamond bracelet on the counter, the jeweler wondered whether he had a potential shoplifter on his hands.
gadfly	N. animal-biting fly; an irritating person. Like a gadfly, he irritated all the guests at the hotel; within forty-eight hours, everyone regarded him as an annoying busybody.
gaffe	N. social blunder. According to Miss Manners, to call your husband by your lover's name is worse than a mere gaffe; it is a tactical mistake.
gait	N. manner of walking or running; speed. The lame man walked with an uneven gait.
galvanize	V. stimulate by shock; stir up; revitalize. News that the prince was almost at their door galvanized the ugly stepsisters into a frenzy of combing and primping.
gamely	ADV. bravely; with spirit. Because he had fought gamely against a much superior boxer, the crowd gave him a standing ovation when he left the arena.
garish	ADJ. over-bright in color; gaudy. She wore a gaudy rhinestone necklace with an excessively garish gold lame dress.
gaunt	ADJ. lean and angular; barren. His once round face looked surprisingly gaunt after he had lost weight.
gavel	N. hammerlike tool; mallet. "Sold!" cried the auctioneer, banging her gavel on the table to indicate she'd accepted the final bid.
genteel	ADJ. well-bred; elegant. We are looking for a man with a genteel appearance who can inspire confidence by his cultivated manner.
gentry	N. people of standing; class of people just below nobility. The local gentry did not welcome the visits of the summer tourists and tried to ignore their presence in the community.
germane	ADJ. pertinent; bearing upon the case at hand. The judge refused to allow the testimony to be heard by the jury because it was not germane to the case.
germinal	ADJ. pertaining to a germ; creative. Such an idea is germinal, I am certain that it will influence thinkers and philosophers for many generations.
gesticulation	N. motion; gesture. Operatic performers are trained to make exaggerated gesticulations because of the large auditoriums in which they appear.
gibe	V. mock. As you gibe at their superstitious beliefs, do you realize that you, too, are guilty of similarly foolish thoughts?
gingerly	ADV. very carefully. To separate egg whites, first crack the egg gingerly.
glaring	ADJ. highly conspicuous; harshly bright. Glaring spelling or grammatical errors in your resume will unfavorably impress potential employers.
gloss over	V. explain away. No matter how hard he tried to talk around the issue, President Bush could not gloss over the fact that he had raised taxes after all.
glower	V. scowl. The angry boy glowered at his father.
glut	V. overstock; fill to excess. The many manufacturers glutted the market and could not find purchasers for the excess articles they had produced. also N.
gourmand	N. epicure; person who takes excessive pleasure in food and drink. Gourmands lack self-restraint; if they enjoy a particular cuisine, they eat far too much of it.
graduated	ADJ. arranged by degrees (of height, difficulty, etc.). Margaret loved her graduated set of Russian hollow wooden dolls; she spent hours happily putting the smaller dolls into their larger counterparts.
graft	N. piece of transplanted tissue; portion of plant inserted in another plant. After the fire, Greg required skin grafts to replace the badly damaged areas on his forearms. alsoV.
granulate	V. form into grains. Sugar that has been granulated dissolves more readily than lump sugar. granule, N.
grate	V. make a harsh noise; have an unpleasant effect; shred. The screams of the quarreling children grated on her nerves.
gratis	ADJ. free. The company offered to give one package gratis to every purchaser of one of their products. alsoADJ.
gratuitous	ADJ. given freely; unwarranted; uncalled for. Quit making gratuitous comments about my driving; no one asked you for your opinion.
grisly	ADJ. ghastly. She shuddered at the grisly sight.
grudging	ADJ. unwilling; reluctant; stingy. We received only grudging support from the mayor despite his earlier promises of aid.
gruff	ADJ. rough-mannered. Although he was blunt and gruff with most people, he was always gentle with children.
guffaw	N. boisterous laughter. The loud guffaws that came from the closed room indicated that the members of the committee had not yet settled down to serious business. alsoV.
gusto	N. enjoyment; enthusiasm. He accepted the assignment with such gusto that I feel he would have been satisfied with a smaller salary.
halting	ADJ. hesitant; faltering. Novice extemporaneous speakers often talk in a halting fashion as they grope for the right words.
harbor	V. provide a refuge for; hide. The church harbored illegal aliens who were political refugees.
haughtiness	N. pride; arrogance. When she realized that Darcy believed himself too good to dance with his inferiors, Elizabeth took great offense at his haughtiness.
headlong	ADJ. hasty; rash. The slave seized the unexpected chance to make a headlong dash across the border to freedom.
heed	V. pay attention to; consider. We hope you heed our advice and get a good night's sleep before the test. also N.
heedless	ADJ. not noticing; disregarding. He drove on, heedless of the danger warnings placed at the side of the road.
hermitage	N. home of a hermit. Even in his remote hermitage he could not escape completely from the world.
hibernal	ADJ. wintry. Bears prepare for their long hibernal sleep by overeating.
hoary	ADJ. white with age. The man was hoary and wrinkled when he was 70.
hodgepodge	N. jumble; mixture of ill-suited elements. The reviewer roundly condemned the play as a hodgepodge of random and purposeless encounters carried out by a cast lacking any uniformity of accent or style.
hoodwink	V. deceive; delude. Having been hoodwinked once by the fast-talking salesman, he was extremely cautious when he went to purchase a used car.
humane	ADJ. marked by kindness or consideration. It is ironic that the Humane Society sometimes must show its compassion toward mistreated animals by killing them to put them out of their misery.
humdrum	ADJ. dull; monotonous. After his years of adventure, he could not settle down to a humdrum existence.
husband	V. use sparingly; conserve; save. Marathon runners must husband their energy so that they can keep going for the entire distance.
hypochondriac	N. person unduly worried about his health; worrier without cause about illness. The doctor prescribed chocolate pills for his patient who was a hypochondriac.
ichthyology	N. study of fish. Jacques Cousteau's programs about sea life have advanced the cause of ichthyology
idiom	N. expression whose meaning as a whole differs from the meanings of its individual words; distinctive style. The phrase "to lose one's marbles" is an idiom: if I say that Joe's lost his marbles, I'm not asking you to find some for him. I'm telling you idiomatically that he's crazy.
ignoble	ADJ. of lowly origin; unworthy. This plan is inspired by ignoble motives and I must, therefore, oppose it.
ignominy	N. deep disgrace; shame or dishonor. To lose the Ping-Pong match to a trained chimpanzee! How could Rollo stand the ignominy of his defeat? ignominious,ADJ.
illicit	ADJ. illegal. The defense attorney maintained that his client had never performed any illicit action.
illimitable	ADJ. infinite. Man, having explored the far corners of the earth, is now reaching out into illimitable space.
illusory	ADJ. deceptive; not real. Unfortunately, the costs of running the lemonade stand were so high that Tom's profits proved illusory.
impalpable	ADJ. imperceptible; intangible. The ash is so fine that it is impalpable to the touch but it can be seen as a fine layer covering the window ledge.
impart	V. reveal or tell; grant. Polly begged Grandma to impart her recipe for rugeleh, but her grandmother wouldn't say a word.
impassable	ADJ. not able to be traveled or crossed. A giant redwood had fallen across the highway, blocking all four lanes: the road was impassable.
impasse	N. predicament from which there is no escape; deadlock. In this impasse, all turned to prayer as their last hope.
impel	V. drive or force onward. A strong feeling of urgency impelled her; if she failed to finish the project right then, she knew that she would never get it done.
impenitent	ADJ. not repentant. We could see from his tough guy attitude that he was impenitent.
imperious	ADJ. domineering; haughty. Jane rather liked a man to be masterful, but Mr. Rochester seemed so bent on getting his own way that he was actually imperious!
impertinent	ADJ. insolent; rude. His neighbors' impertinent curiosity about his lack of dates angered Ted. It was downright rude of them to ask him such personal questions.
impious	ADJ. irreverent. The congregation was offended by her impious remarks.
importunate	ADJ. urging; demanding. He tried to hide from his importunate creditors until his allowance arrived.
impunity	N. freedom from punishment or harm. A 98 pound weakling can't attack a beachfront bully with impunity. the poor, puny guy is sure to get mashed.
inalienable	ADJ. not to be taken away; nontransferable. The Declaration of Independence mentions the inalienable rights that all of us possess.
incandescent	ADJ. strikingly bright; shining with intense heat. If you leave on an incandescent light bulb, it quickly grows too hot to touch.
incendiary	N. arsonist. The fire spread in such an unusual manner that the fire department chiefs were certain that it had been set by an incendiary. alsoADJ.
incense	V. enrage; infuriate. Cruelty to defenseless animals incensed Kit: the very idea brought tears of anger to her eyes.
incidental	ADJ. not essential; minor. The scholarship covered his major expenses at college and some of his incidental expenses as well.
incipient	ADJ. beginning; in an early stage. I will go to sleep early for I want to break an incipient cold.
incisive	ADJ. cutting; sharp. His incisive remarks made us see the fallacy in our plans.
inclement	ADJ. stormy; unkind. In inclement weather, I like to curl up on the sofa with a good book and listen to the storm blowing outside.
incontinent	ADJ. lacking self-restraint; licentious. His incontinent behavior off stage so shocked many people that they refused to attend the plays and movies in which he appeared.
incontrovertible	ADJ. indisputable; not open to question. Unless you find the evidence against my client absolutely incontrovertible, you must declare her not guilty of this charge.
incorrigible	ADJ. not correctable. Though Widow Douglass hoped to reform Huck, Miss Watson called him incorrigible and said he would come to no good end.
incriminate	V. accuse. The evidence gathered against the racketeers incriminates some high public officials as well.
incrustation	N. hard coating or crust. In dry dock, we scraped off the incrustation of dirt and barnacles that covered the hull of the ship.
incubate	V. hatch; scheme. Inasmuch as our supply of electricity is cut off, we shall have to rely on the hens to incubate these eggs.
inculcate	V. teach; instill. In an effort to inculcate religious devotion, the officials ordered that the school day begin with the singing of a hymn.
incur	V. bring upon oneself. His parents refused to pay any future debts he might incur.
indelible	ADJ. not able to be erased. The indelible ink left a permanent mark on my shirt. Young Bill Clinton's meeting with President Kennedy made an indelible impression on the youth.
indenture	V. bind as servant or apprentice to master. Many immigrants could come to America only after they had indentured themselves for several years. also N.
indices	n. PL. signs; indications. Many college admissions officers believe that SAT scores and high school grades are the best indices of a student's potential to succeed in college. N. SG. index.
indict	V. charge. The district attorney didn't want to indict the suspect until she was sure she had a strong enough case to convince a jury. indictment, N.
indignation	N. anger at an injustice. He felt indignation at the ill-treatment of helpless animals.
indignity	N. offensive or insulting treatment. Although he seemed to accept cheerfully the indignities heaped upon him, he was inwardly very angry.
indiscretion	N. lack of tactfulness or sound judgment. Terrified that the least indiscretion could jeopardize his political career, the novice politician never uttered an unguarded word. indiscreet,ADJ.
indissoluble	ADJ. permanent. The indissoluble bonds of marriage are all too often being dissolved.
indubitable	ADJ. unable to be doubted; unquestionable. Auditioning for the chorus line, Molly was an indubitable hit: the director fired the leading lady and hired Molly in her place!
indulgent	ADJ. humoring; yielding; lenient. Jay's mom was excessively indulgent she bought him every Nintendo cartridge and video game on the market. She indulged Jay so much, she spoiled him rotten.
inexorable	ADJ. relentless; unyielding; implacable. After listening to the pleas for clemency, the judge was inexorable and gave the convicted man the maximum punishment allowed by law.
infirmity	N. weakness. Her greatest infirmity was lack of willpower.
ingenue	N. an artless girl; an actress who plays such parts. Although she was forty, she still insisted that she be cast as an ingenue and refused to play more mature roles.
ingratiate	V. become popular with. He tried to ingratiate himself into her parents' good graces.
inimitable	ADJ. matchless; not able to be imitated. We admire Auden for his inimitable use of language; he is one of a kind.
iniquitous	ADJ. wicked; immoral; unrighteous. Whether or not King Richard III was responsible for the murder of the two young princes in the Tower, it was an iniquitous deed. iniquity, N.
innuendo	N. hint; insinuation. I can defend myself against direct accusations; innuendos and oblique attacks on my character are what trouble me.
inopportune	ADJ. untimely; poorly chosen. A rock concert is an inopportune setting for a quiet conversation.
inordinate	ADJ. unrestrained; excessive. She had an inordinate fondness for candy, eating two or three boxes in a single day.
inscrutable	ADJ. impenetrable; not readily understood; mysterious. Experienced poker players try to keep their expressions inscrutable, hiding their reactions to the cards behind a so-called "poker face."
insolvent	ADJ. bankrupt; unable to repay one's debts. Although young Lord Widgeon was insolvent, he had no fear of being thrown into debtors' prison, for he was sure that if his creditors pressed him for payment his wealthy parents would repay what he owed. insolvency, N.
insubstantial	ADJ. lacking substance; insignificant; frail. His hopes for a career in acting proved insubstantial; no one would cast him, even in an insubstantial role.
intelligentsia	N. the intelligent and educated classes [often used derogatorily]. She preferred discussions about sports and politics to the literary conversations of the intelligentsia.
intemperate	ADJ. immoderate; excessive; extreme. In a temper, Tony refused to tone down his intemperate remarks.
inter	V. bury. They are going to inter the body tomorrow at Broadlawn Cemetery.
interment	N. burial. Interment will take place in the church cemetery at 2 P.M. Wednesday.
interminable	ADJ. endless. Although his speech lasted for only twenty minutes, it seemed interminable to his bored audience.
intermittent	ADJ. periodic; on and off. The outdoor wedding reception had to be moved indoors to avoid the intermittent showers that fell on and off all afternoon.
intrepid	ADJ. fearless. For her intrepid conduct nursing the wounded during the war, Florence Nightingale was honored by Queen Victoria.
inviolable	ADJ. secure from corruption, attack, or violation; unassailable. Batman considered his oath to keep the people of Gotham City inviolable: nothing on earth could make him break this promise.
iota	N. very small quantity. She hadn't an iota of common sense.
iridescent	ADJ. exhibiting rainbowlike colors. She admired the iridescent hues of the oil that floated on the surface of the water.
irremediable	ADJ. incurable; uncorrectable. The error she made was irremediable; she could see no way to repair it.
irreparable	ADJ. not able to be corrected or repaired. Your apology cannot atone for the irreparable damage you have done to her reputation.
irreproachable	ADJ. blameless; impeccable. Homer's conduct at the office party was irreproachable; even Marge didn't have anything bad to say about how he behaved.
irrevocable	ADJ. unalterable; irreversible. As Sue dropped the "Dear John" letter into the mailbox, she suddenly had second thoughts and wanted to take it back, but she could not: her action was irrevocable.
jaded	ADJ. fatigued; surfeited. He looked for exotic foods to stimulate his jaded appetite.
jaunt	N. trip; short journey. He took a quick jaunt to Atlantic City.
jaunty	ADJ. lighthearted; animated; easy and carefree. In An American in Paris, Gene Kelly sang and danced his way through "Singing in the Rain" in a properly jaunty style.
jettison	V. throw overboard. In order to enable the ship to ride safely through the storm, the captain had to jettison much of his cargo.
jocular	ADJ. said or done in jest. Although Bill knew the boss hated jokes, he couldn't resist making one jocular remark.
jollity	N. gaiety; cheerfulness. The festive Christmas dinner was a merry one, and old and young alike joined in the general jollity.
judicious	ADJ. sound in judgment; wise. At a key moment in his life, he made a judicious investment that was the foundation of his later wealth.
jurisprudence	N. science of law. He was more a student of jurisprudence than a practitioner of the law.
kernel	N. central or vital part; whole seed (as of corn). "Watson, buried within this tissue of lies there is a kernel of truth; when I find it, the mystery will be solved."
knave	N. untrustworthy person; rogue; scoundrel. Any politician nicknamed Tricky Dick clearly has the reputation of a knave. knavery, N.
knit	V. contract into wrinkles; grow together. Whenever David worries, his brow knits in a frown. When he broke his leg, he sat around the house all day waiting for the bones to knit.
knoll	N. little round hill. Robert Louis Stevenson's grave is on a knoll in Samoa; to reach the grave site, you must climb uphill and walk a short distance along a marked path.
knotty	ADJ. intricate; difficult; tangled. What to Watson had been a knotty problem, to Sherlock Holmes was simplicity itself.
lachrymose	ADJ. producing tears. His voice has a lachrymose quality more appropriate to a funeral than a class reunion.
laggard	ADJ. slow; sluggish. The sailor had been taught not to be laggard in carrying out orders. lag, N.,V.
languid	ADJ. weary; sluggish; listless. Her siege of illness left her languid and pallid.
languor	N. lassitude; depression. His friends tried to overcome the languor into which he had fallen by taking him to parties and to the theater.
lap	V. take in food or drink with one's tongue; splash gently. The kitten neatly lapped up her milk. The waves softly lapped against the pier.
larder	N. pantry; place where food is kept. The first thing Bill did on returning home from school was to check what snacks his mother had in the larder.
largess	N. generous gift. Lady Bountiful distributed largess to the poor.
latitude	N. freedom from narrow limitations. I think you have permitted your son too much latitude in this matter.
leaven	V. cause to rise or grow lighter; enliven. As bread dough is leavened, it puffs up, expanding in volume.
lechery	N. lustfulness; impurity in thought and deed. In his youth he led a life of lechery and debauchery; he did not mend his ways until middle age. lecherous,ADJ.
leery	ADJ. suspicious; cautious. Don't eat the sushi at this restaurant; I'm a bit leery about how fresh the raw fish is.
legerdemain	N. sleight of hand. The magician demonstrated his renowned legerdemain.
lexicographer	N. compiler of a dictionary. The new dictionary is the work of many lexicographers who spent years compiling and editing the work.
lexicon	N. dictionary. I cannot find this word in any lexicon in the library.
libretto	N. text of an opera. The composer of an opera's music is remembered more frequently than the author of its libretto.
licentious	ADJ. amoral; lewd and lascivious; unrestrained. Unscrupulously seducing the daughter of his host, Don Juan felt no qualms about the immorality of his licentious behavior.
limerick	N. humorous short verse. The limerick form is the best; its meter is pure anapest. A limerick's fun for most everyone, and the word may occur on your test.
linchpin	N. something that holds or links various parts together. The linchpin in the district attorney's case was a photograph showing the defendant shaking hands with the hired killer.
liniment	N. ointment; lotion; salve. The trainer carefully applied the liniment to the quarterback's bruise, gently rubbing it into the skin.
lionize	V. treat as a celebrity. She enjoyed being lionized and adored by the public.
list	V. tilt; lean over. That flagpole should be absolutely vertical; instead, it lists to one side. (secondary meaning)
listless	ADJ. lacking in spirit or energy. We had expected him to be full of enthusiasm and were surprised by his listless attitude.
lithe	ADJ. flexible; supple. Her figure was lithe and willowy.
livid	ADJ. lead-colored; black and blue; enraged. His face was so livid with rage that we were afraid that he might have an attack of apoplexy.
loath	ADJ. reluctant; disinclined. Romeo and Juliet were both loath for him to go.
loll	V. lounge about. They lolled around in their chairs watching television.
lope	V. gallop slowly. As the horses loped along, we had an opportunity to admire the ever-changing scenery.
lout	N. clumsy person. That awkward lout dropped my priceless vase!
low	V. moo. From the hilltop, they could see the herd like ants in the distance; they could barely hear the cattle low.
lugubrious	ADJ. mournful. The lugubrious howling of the dogs added to our sadness.
lull (1st meaning)	N. moment of calm. Not wanting to get wet, they waited under the awning for a lull in the rain.
lull (2nd meaning)	V. soothe; cause one to relax one's guard; subside. The mother's gentle song lulled the child to sleep. Malcolm tried to come up with a plausible story to lull his mother's suspicions, but she didn't believe a word he said.
lurid	ADJ. wild; sensational; graphic; gruesome. Do the lurid cover stories in the Enquirer actually attract people to buy that trashy tabloid?
madrigal	N. pastoral song. His program of folk songs included several madrigals which he sang to the accompaniment of a lute.
malaise	N. uneasiness; vague feeling of ill health. Feeling slightly queasy before going onstage, Carol realized that this touch of malaise was merely stage fright.
malapropism	N. comic misuse of a word. When Mrs. Malaprop accuses Lydia of being "as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile," she confuses "allegory" and "alligator" in a typical malapropism.
malefactor	N. evildoer; criminal. Mighty Mouse will save the day, hunting down malefactors and rescuing innocent mice from peril.
malignant	ADJ. injurious; tending to cause death; aggressively malevolent. Though many tumors are benign, some are malignant, growing out of control and endangering the life of the patient.
mannered	ADJ. affected; not natural. Attempting to copy the style of his wealthy neighbors, Gatsby adopted a mannered, artificial way of speech.
marred	ADJ. damaged; disfigured. She had to refinish the marred surface of the table. mar,V.
marshal	V. put in order. At a debate tournament, extemporaneous speakers have only a minute or two to marshal their thoughts before they address their audience.
martinet	N. strict disciplinarian. No talking at meals! No mingling with the servants! Miss Minchin was a martinet who insisted that the schoolgirls in her charge observe each regulation to the letter.
matriarch	N. woman who rules a family or larger social group. The matriarch ruled her gypsy tribe with a firm hand.
matriculate	V. enroll (in college or graduate school). Incoming students formally matriculate at our college in a special ceremony during which they sign the official register of students.
maudlin	ADJ. effusively sentimental. Whenever a particularly maudlin tearjerker was playing at the movies, Marvin would embarrass himself by weeping copiously.
mawkish	ADJ. mushy and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; maudlin. Whenever Gigi and her boyfriend would sigh and get all lovey-dovey, her little brother would shout, "Yuck!" protesting their mawkish behavior.
meander	V. wind or turn in its course. Needing to stay close to a source of water, he followed every twist and turn of the stream as it meandered through the countryside.
mellifluous	ADJ. sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious. Italian is a mellifluous language, especially suited to being sung.
menial	ADJ. suitable for servants; lowly; mean. Her wicked stepmother forced Cinderella to do menial tasks around the house while her ugly stepsisters lolled around painting their toenails.
mercurial	ADJ. capricious; changing; fickle. Quick as quicksilver to change, he was mercurial in nature and therefore unreliable.
metallurgical	ADJ. pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores. During the course of his metallurgical research, the scientist developed a steel alloy of tremendous strength.
miasma	N. swamp gas; heavy, vaporous atmosphere, often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence. The smog hung over Victorian London like a dark cloud; noisome, reeking of decay, it was a visible miasma.
milieu	N. environment; means of expression. Surrounded by smooth preppies and arty bohemians, the country boy from Smalltown, USA, felt out of his milieu. Although he has produced excellent oil paintings and lithographs, his proper milieu is watercolor.
mincing	ADJ. affectedly dainty. Yum-Yum walked across the stage with mincing steps.
mire	V. entangle; stick in swampy ground. Their rear wheels became mired in mud. also N.
mirth	N. merriment; laughter. Sober Malvolio found Sir Toby's mirth improper.
misapprehension	N. error; misunderstanding. To avoid misapprehension, I am going to ask all of you to repeat the instructions I have given.
mischance	N. ill luck. By mischance, he lost his week's salary.
miserly	ADJ. stingy; mean. Transformed by his vision on Christmas Eve, mean old Scrooge ceased being miserly and became a generous, kind old man.
misnomer	N. wrong name; incorrect designation. His tyrannical conduct proved to all that his nickname, King Eric the Just, was a misnomer.
missive	N. letter. The ambassador received a missive from the secretary of state.
mite	N. very small object or creature; small coin. Gnats are annoying mites that sting.
mode	N. prevailing style; manner; way of doing something. The rock star had to have her hair done in the latest mode: frizzed, with occasional moussed spikes for variety. Henry plans to adopt a simpler mode of life: he is going to become a mushroom hunter and live off the land.
modulate	V. tone down in intensity; regulate; change from one key to another. Always singing at the top of her lungs, the budding Brunhilde never learned to modulate her voice.
molt	V. shed or cast off hair or feathers. When Molly's canary molted, he shed feathers all over the house.
moratorium	N. legal delay of payment. If we declare a moratorium and delay collection of debts for six months, I am sure the farmers will be able to meet their bills.
mores	N. conventions; moral standards; customs. In America, Benazir Bhutto dressed as Western women did; in Pakistan, however, she followed the mores of her people, dressing in traditional veil and robes.
moribund	ADJ. dying. Hearst took a moribund, failing weekly newspaper and transformed it into one of the liveliest, most profitable daily papers around.
mote	N. small speck. The tiniest mote in the eye is very painful.
mottled	ADJ. blotched in coloring; spotted. When old Falstaff blushed, his face was mottled with embarrassment, all pink and purple and red.
multiplicity	N. state of being numerous. He was appalled by the multiplicity of details he had to complete before setting out on his mission.
munificent	ADJ. very generous. Shamelessly fawning over a particularly generous donor, the dean kept on referring to her as "our munificent benefactor." munificence, N.
muse	V. ponder. For a moment he mused about the beauty of the scene, but his thoughts soon changed as he recalled his own personal problems. also N.
musky	ADJ. having the odor of musk. She left a trace of musky perfume behind her.
muster	V. gather; assemble. Washington mustered his forces at Trenton. also N.
musty	ADJ. stale; spoiled by age. The attic was dark and musty.
myopic	ADJ. nearsighted; lacking foresight. Stumbling into doors despite the coke bottle lenses on his glasses, the nearsighted Mr. Magoo is markedly myopic. In playing all summer long and ignoring to store up food for winter, the grasshopper in Aesop's fable was myopic as well.
nadir	N. lowest point. Although few people realized it, the Dow-Jones averages had reached their nadir and would soon begin an upward surge.
natty	ADJ. neatly or smartly dressed. Priding himself on being a natty dresser, the gangster Bugsy Siegel collected a wardrobe of imported suits and ties.
navigable	ADJ. wide and deep enough to allow ships to pass through; able to be steered. So much sand had built up at the bottom of the canal that the waterway was barely navigable.
nebulous	ADJ. vague; hazy; cloudy. After twenty years, she had only a nebulous memory of her grandmother's face.
nepotism	N. favoritism (to a relative). John left his position with the company because he felt that advancement was based on nepotism rather than ability.
nettle	V. annoy; vex. Do not let him nettle you with his sarcastic remarks.
nicety	N. precision; minute distinction. I cannot distinguish between such niceties of reasoning.
nihilist	N. one who believes traditional beliefs to be groundless and existence meaningless; absolute skeptic; revolutionary terrorist. In his final days, Hitler revealed himself a power-mad nihilist, ready to annihilate all of Western Europe, even to destroy Germany itself, in order that his will might prevail. The root of the word nihilist is nihil, Latin for nothing. nihilism, N.
noisome	ADJ. foul-smelling; unwholesome. The noisome atmosphere downwind of the oil refinery not only stank, it damaged the lungs of everyone living in the area.
nominal	ADJ. in name only; trifling. He offered to drive her to the airport for only a nominal fee.
nondescript	ADJ. undistinctive; ordinary. The private detective was a short, nondescript fellow with no outstanding features, the sort of person one would never notice in a crowd.
nuance	N. shade of difference in meaning or color; subtle distinction. Jody gazed at the Monet landscape for an hour, appreciating every subtle nuance of color in the painting.
numismatist	N. person who collects coins. The numismatist had a splendid collection of antique coins.
obstetrician	N. physician specializing in delivery of babies. In modern times, the delivery of children has passed from the midwife to the more scientifically trained obstetrician,
obstinate	ADJ. stubborn; hard to control or treat. We tried to persuade him to give up smoking, but he was obstinate and refused to change. Blackberry stickers are the most obstinate weeds I know: once established in a yard, they're extremely hard to root out. obstinacy, N.
obtrude	V. push (oneself or one's ideas) forward or intrude; butt in; stick out or extrude. Because Fanny was reluctant to obtrude her opinions about child-raising upon her daughter-in-law, she kept a close watch on her tongue. obtrusive,ADJ.
odious	ADJ. hateful; vile. Cinderella's ugly stepsisters had the odious habit of popping their zits in public.
odium	N. detestation; hatefulness; disrepute. Prince Charming could not express the odium he felt toward Cinderella's stepsisters because of their mistreatment of poor Cinderella.
ominous	ADJ. threatening. Those clouds are ominous; they suggest a severe storm is on the way.
omniscient	ADJ. all-knowing. I do not pretend to be omniscient, but I am positive about this fact.
onus	N. burden; responsibility. The emperor was spared the onus of signing the surrender papers; instead, he relegated the assignment to his generals.
opalescent	ADJ. iridescent; lustrous. The oil slick on the water had an opalescent, rainbow-like sheen.
opportunist	N. individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances. Joe is such an opportunist that he tripled the price of bottled water at his store as soon as the earthquake struck. Because it can break water pipes, an earthquake is, to most people, a disaster; to Joe, it was an opportunity.
opus	N. work. Although many critics hailed his Fifth Symphony as his major work, he did not regard it as his major opus.
oracular	ADJ. prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous. Like many others who sought divine guidance from the oracle at Delphi, Oedipus could not understand the enigmatic oracularwarning he received.
ordinance	N. decree. Passing a red light is a violation of a city ordinance.
ordination	N. ceremony making someone a minister. At the young priest's ordination, the members of the congregation presented him with a set of vestments. ordain,V.
ossify	V. change or harden into bone. When he called his opponent a "bonehead," he implied that his adversary's brain had ossified to the point that he was incapable of clear thinking.
ostensible	ADJ. apparent; professed; pretended. Although the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands, we are really interested in finding new markets for our products.
ostracize	V. exclude from public favor; ban. As soon as the newspapers carried the story of his connection with the criminals, his friends began to ostracize him. ostracism, N.
outmoded	ADJ. no longer stylish; old-fashioned. Unconcerned about keeping in style, Lenore was perfectly happy to wear outmoded clothes as long as they were clean and unfrayed.
outstrip	V. surpass; outdo. Jesse Owens easily outstripped his white competitors to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games.
overwrought	ADJ. extremely agitated; hysterical. When Kate heard the news of the sudden tragedy, she became too overwrought to work and had to leave the office early.
palatable	ADJ. agreeable; pleasing to the taste. Neither Jack's underbaked opinions nor his overcooked casseroles were palatable to Jill.
pall	V. grow tiresome. The study of word lists can eventually pall and put one to sleep.
palliate	V. lessen the violence of (a disease); alleviate; moderate intensity; gloss over with excuses. Not content merely to palliate the patient's sores and cankers, the researcher sought a means of wiping out the disease. palliative,ADJ.
palpable	ADJ. tangible; easily perceptible; unmistakable. The patient's enlarged spleen was palpable: even the first year medical student could feel it.
palpitate	V. throb; flutter. As he became excited, his heart began to palpitate more and more erratically.
pan	V. criticize harshly. Hoping for a rave review of his new show, the playwright was miserable when the critics panned it unanimously.
panacea	N. cure-all; remedy for all diseases. The rich youth cynically declared that the panacea for all speeding tickets was a big enough bribe.
panache	N. flair; flamboyance. Many performers imitate Noel Coward, but few have his panache and sense of style.
pantomime	N. acting without dialogue. Because he worked in pantomime, the clown could be understood wherever he appeared. alsoV.
parable	N. short, simple story teaching a moral. Let us apply to our own conduct the lesson that this parable teaches.
parallelism	N. state of being parallel; similarity. Although the twins were separated at birth and grew up in different adoptive families, a striking parallelism exists between their lives.
paraphernalia	N. equipment; odds and ends. His desk was cluttered with paper, pen, ink, dictionary and other paraphernalia of the writing craft.
parched	ADJ. extremely dry; very thirsty. The parched desert landscape seemed hostile to life.
pariah	N. social outcast. If everyone ostracized singer Mariah Carey, would she then be Mariah the pariah?
parity	N. equality in status or amount; close resemblance. Unfortunately, some doubt exists whether women's salaries will ever achieve paritywith men's.
parochial	ADJ. narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes. Although Jane Austen sets her novels in small rural communities, her concerns are universal, not parochial,
paroxysm	N. fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage. When he heard of his son's misdeeds, he was seized by a paroxysm of rage.
passive	ADJ. not active; acted upon. Mahatma Gandhi urged his followers to pursue a program of passive resistance as he felt that it was more effective than violence and acts of terrorism.
pastiche	N. imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing. We cannot even say that her music is a: pastiche of this composer or that; it is, rather, reminiscent of many musicians.
patent	ADJ. open for the public to read; obvious. It was patent to everyone that the witness spoke the truth. also N.
pathos	N. tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings. The quiet tone of pathos that ran through the novel never degenerated into the maudlin or the overly sentimental.
patrician	ADJ. noble; aristocratic. We greatly admired her well-bred, patrician elegance. also N.
patronize	V. support; act superior toward; be a customer of. Penniless artists hope to find some wealthy art-lover who will patronize them. If some condescending wine steward patronized me because he saw I knew nothing about fine wine, I'd refuse to patronize his restaurant.
peccadillo	N. slight offense. When Peter Piper picked a peck of Polly Potter's pickles, did Pete commit a major crime or just a peccadillo?
pecuniary	ADJ. pertaining to money. Seldom earning enough to cover their expenses, folk dance teachers work because they love dancing, not because they expect any pecuniary reward.
pedagogy	N. teaching; art of education. Though Maria Montessori gained fame for her innovations in pedagogy, it took years before her teaching techniques were common practice in American schools.
pedant	N. scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities. Her insistence that the book be memorized marked the teacher as a pedant rather than a scholar.
pedestrian	ADJ. ordinary; unimaginative. Unintentionally boring, he wrote page after page of pedestrian prose.
pejorative	ADJ. negative in connotation; having a belittling effect. Instead of criticizing Clinton's policies, the Republicans made pejorative remarks about his character.
penitent	ADJ. repentant. When he realized the enormity of his crime, he became remorseful and penitent, also N.
pensive	ADJ. dreamily thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative. The pensive lover gazed at the portrait of his beloved and deeply sighed.
perdition	N. damnation; complete ruin. Praying for salvation, young Steven Daedalus feared he was damned to eternal perdition.
perforate	V. pierce; put a hole through. Before you can open the aspirin bottle, you must first perforate the plastic safety seal that covers the cap.
periphery	N. edge, especially of a round surface. He sensed that there was something just beyond the periphery of his vision.
perjury	N. false testimony while under oath. Rather than lie under oath and perhaps be indicted for perjury, the witness chose to take the Fifth Amendment, refusing to answer any questions on the grounds that he might incriminate himself.
pernicious	ADJ. very destructive. Crack cocaine has had a pernicious effect on urban society: it has destroyed families, turned children into drug dealers, and increased the spread of violent crimes.
pert	ADJ. impertinent; forward. I think your pert and impudent remarks call for an apology.
peruse	V. read with care. After the conflagration that burned down her house, Joan closely perused her home insurance policy to discover exactly what benefits her coverage provided her. perusal, N.
phenomena	N. observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation. We kept careful records of the phenomena we noted in the course of these experiments.
philistine	N. narrow-minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain. We need more men of culture and enlightenment; we have too many philistines among us.
phylum	N. major class of plants; primary branch of animal kingdom; division. In sorting out her hundreds of packets of seeds, Katya decided to file them by phylum.
picaresque	ADJ. pertaining to rogues in literature. Tom Jones has been hailed as one of the best picaresque novels in the English language.
piebald	ADJ. mottled; spotted. You should be able to identify Polka Dot in this race; it is the only piebald horse running.
piecemeal	ADV. one piece at a time; gradually. Tolstoy's War and Peace is too huge to finish in one sitting; I'll have to read it piecemeal.
pied	ADJ. variegated; multicolored. The Pied Piper of Hamelin got his name from the multicolored clothing he wore.
pine	V. languish, decline; long for, yearn. Though she tried to be happy living with Clara in the city, Heidi pined for the mountains and for her gruff but loving grandfather.
pittance	N. a small allowance or wage. He could not live on the pittance he received as a pension and had to look for an additional source of revenue.
plaudit	N. enthusiastically worded approval; round of applause. The theatrical company reprinted the plaudits of the critics in its advertisements. plauditory,ADJ.
plenitude	N. abundance; completeness. Looking in the pantry, we admired the plenitude of fruits and pickles we had preserved during the summer.
pliable	ADJ. flexible; yielding; adaptable. In remodeling the bathroom, we have replaced all the old, rigid lead pipes with new, pliable copper tubing.
pliant	ADJ. flexible; easily influenced. Pinocchio's disposition was pliant, he was like putty in his tempters' hands.
plight	N. condition, state (especially a bad state or condition); predicament. Many people feel that the federal government should do more to alleviate the plight of the homeless. Loggers, unmoved by the plight of the spotted owl, plan to continue logging whether or not they ruin the owl's habitat.
plumage	N. feathers of a bird. Bird watchers identify different species of bird by their characteristic songs and distinctive plumage.
poignancy	N. quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion. Watching the tearful reunion of the long-separated mother and child, the social worker was touched by the poignancy of the scene. poignant,ADJ.
polemical	ADJ. aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious. Lexy was a master of polemical rhetoric; she should have worn a T-shirt with the slogan "Born to Debate."
politic	ADJ. expedient; prudent; well advised. Even though he was disappointed by the size of the bonus he was offered, he did not think it politic to refuse it.
polyglot	ADJ. speaking several languages. New York City is a polyglot community because of the thousands of immigrants who settle there.
ponderous	ADJ. weighty; unwieldy. His humor lacked the light touch; his jokes were always ponderous.
pontifical	ADJ. pertaining to a bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious. From his earliest days at the seminary, John seemed destined for a high pontifical office. However, he sounded so pompous when he pontificated that he never was chosen pontiff after all.
pore	V. study industriously; ponder; scrutinize. Determined to become a physician, Beth spent hours poring over her anatomy text.
portend	V. foretell; presage. The king did not know what these omens might portend and asked his soothsayers to interpret them.
portent	N. sign; omen; forewarning. He regarded the black cloud as a portent of evil.
portly	ADJ. stately; stout. The overweight gentleman was referred to as portly by the polite salesclerk.
posterity	N. descendants; future generations. We hope to leave a better world to posterity.
posthumous	ADJ. after death (as of child born after father's death or book published after author's death). The critics ignored his works during his lifetime; it was only after the posthumous publication of his last novel that they recognized his great talent.
postulate	N. essential premise; underlying assumption. The basic postulate of democracy, set forth in the Declaration of Independence, is that all men are created equal.
potentate	N. monarch; sovereign. The potentate spent more time at Monte Carlo than he did at home on his throne.
practicable	ADJ. feasible. The board of directors decided that the plan was practicable and agreed to undertake the project.
precinct	N. district or division of a city. Ed McBain's detective novels set in the 87th precinct provide an exciting picture of police work.
precipice	N. cliff; dangerous position. Suddenly Indiana Jones found himself dangling from the edge of a precipice.
precipitous	ADJ. steep; overhasty. This hill is difficult to climb because it is so precipitous; one slip, and our descent will be precipitous as well.
précis	N. concise summing up of main points. Before making her presentation at the conference, Ellen wrote up a neat précis of the major elements she would cover.
predispose	V. give an inclination toward; make susceptible to. Oleg's love of dressing up his big sister's Barbie doll may have predisposed him to become a fashion designer. Genetic influences apparently predispose people to certain forms of cancer.
preeminent	ADJ. outstanding; superior. The king traveled to Boston because he wanted the preeminent surgeon in the field to perform the operation.
preen	V. make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction. As Kitty preened before the mirror, carefully smoothing her shining hair, she couldn't help preening over how pretty she looked.
prelate	N. church dignitary. The archbishop of Moscow and other high-ranking prelates visited the Russian Orthodox seminary.
prerogative	N. privilege; unquestionable right. The president cannot levy taxes; that is the prerogative of the legislative branch of government.
presumptuous	ADJ. overconfident; impertinently bold; taking liberties. Matilda thought it was somewhat presumptuous of the young man to have addressed her without first having been introduced. Perhaps manners were freer here in the New World.
pretext	N. excuse. He looked for a good pretext to get out of paying a visit to his aunt.
prim	ADJ. very precise and formal; exceedingly proper. Many people commented on the contrast between the prim attire of the young lady and the inappropriate clothing worn by her escort.
primp	V. groom oneself with care; adorn oneself. The groom stood by idly while his nervous bride-to-be primped one last time before the mirror.
privation	N. hardship; want. In his youth, he knew hunger and privation.
proclivity	N. inclination; natural tendency. Watching the two-year-old voluntarily put away his toys, I was amazed by his proclivityfor neatness.
prodigious	ADJ. marvelous; enormous. Watching the champion weight lifter heave the weighty barbell to shoulder height and then boost it overhead, we marveled at his prodigious strength.
profane	V. violate; desecrate; treat unworthily. The members of the mysterious Far Eastern cult sought to kill the British explorer because he had profaned the sanctity of their holy goblet by using it as an ashtray. alsoADJ.
profligate	ADJ. dissipated; wasteful; wildly immoral. Although surrounded by wild and profligate companions, she nevertheless managed to retain some sense of decency.
profusion	N. overabundance; lavish expenditure; excess. Freddy was so overwhelmed by the profusion of choices on the menu that he knocked over his wine glass and soaked his host. He made profuse apologies to his host, the waiter, the bus boy, the people at the next table, and the attendant handing out paper towels.
progenitor	N. ancestor. The Roth family, whose progenitors emigrated from Germany early in the nineteenth century, settled in Peru, Illinois.
proletarian	N. member of the working class; blue collar person. "Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains" is addressed to proletarians, not preppies. So is Blue Collar Holler. proletariat, N.
prolific	ADJ. abundantly fruitful. My editors must assume I'm a prolific writer: they expect me to revise six books this year!
prolixity	N. tedious wordiness; verbosity. A writer who suffers from prolixity tells his readers everything they never wanted to know about his subject (or were too bored to ask). prolix,ADJ.
prologue	N. introduction (to a poem or play). In the prologue to Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare introduces the audience to the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets.
promontory	N. headland. They erected a lighthouse on the promontory to warn approaching ships of their nearness to the shore.
propinquity	N. nearness; kinship. Their relationship could not be explained as being based on mere propinquity; they were more than relatives, they were true friends.
propitious	ADJ. favorable; fortunate; advantageous. Chloe consulted her horoscope to see whether Tuesday would be a propitious day to dump her boyfriend.
propulsive	ADJ. driving forward. The jet plane has a greater propulsive power than the engine-driven plane.
prosaic	ADJ. dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact; factual. Though the ad writers came up with an original way to publicize the product, the head office rejected it for a more prosaic, ordinary slogan.
proselytize	V. convert to a religion or belief. In these interfaith meetings, there must be no attempt to proselytize; we must respect all points of view.
prostrate	V. stretch out full on ground. He prostrated himself before the idol. alsoADJ.
protean	ADJ. versatile; able to take on many shapes. A remarkably protean actor, Alec Guinness could take on any role.
protuberance	N. protrusion; bulge. A ganglionic cyst is a fluid-filled tumor that develops near a joint membrane or tendon sheath, and that bulges beneath the skin, forming a protuberance.
prurient	ADJ. having or causing lustful thoughts and desires. Aroused by his prurient impulses, the dirty old man leered at the sweet young thing and offered to give her a sample of his "prowess."
pugilist	N. boxer. The famous pugilist Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammed Ali.
pulchritude	N. beauty; comeliness. I do not envy the judges who have to select this year's Miss America from this collection of female pulchritude.
pundit	N. authority on a subject; learned person; expert. Some authors who write about SAT I as if they are pundits actually know very little about the test.
punitive	ADJ. punishing. He asked for punitive measures against the offender.
purchase (secondary meaning)	N. firm grasp or footing. The mountaineer struggled to get a proper purchase on the slippery rock. (secondary meaning)
purse (secondary meaning)	V. pucker; contract into wrinkles. Miss Watson pursed her lips to show her disapproval of Huck's bedraggled appearance.
quaff	V. drink with relish. As we quaffed our ale, we listened to the lively songs of the students in the tavern.
quaint	ADJ. odd; old-fashioned; picturesque. Her quaint clothes and old-fashioned language marked her as an eccentric.
quarry	N. Victim; object of a hunt. The police closed in on their quarry.
quay	N. dock; landing place. Because of the captain's carelessness, the ship crashed into the quay.
quietude	N. tranquility. He was impressed by the air of quietude and peace that pervaded the valley.
quintessence	N. purest and highest embodiment. Noel Coward displayed the quintessence of wit.
quip	N. taunt. You are unpopular because you are too free with your quips and sarcastic comments. alsoV.
quirk	N. startling twist; caprice. By a quirk of fate, he found himself working for the man whom he had discharged years before.
quiver (1st meaning)	V. tremble; shake. The bird dog's nose twitched and his whiskers quivered as he strained eagerly against the leash. also N.
quiver (2nd meaning)	N. case for arrows. Robin Hood reached back and plucked one last arrow from his quiver. (secondary meaning)
quixotic	ADJ. idealistic but impractical. Constantly coming up with quixotic, unworkable schemes to save the world, Simon has his heart in the right place, but his head somewhere in the clouds.
quizzical	ADJ. teasing; bantering; mocking; curious. When the skinny teenager tripped over his own feet stepping into the bullpen, Coach raised one quizzical eyebrow, shook his head, and said, "Okay, kid. You're here, let's see what you've got."
ramify	V. divide into branches or subdivisions. When the plant begins to ramify, it is advisable to nip off most of the new branches.
ramshackle	ADJ. rickety; falling apart. The boys propped up the ramshackle clubhouse with a couple of boards.
rancor	N. bitterness; hatred. Thirty years after the war, she could not let go of the past but was still consumed with rancor against the foe.
rankle	V. irritate; fester. The memory of having been jilted rankled him for years.
rapacious	ADJ. excessively greedy; predatory. The rapacious brigands stripped the villagers of all their possessions. rapacity, N.
rapport	N. emotional closeness; harmony. In team teaching, it is important that all teachers in the group have good rapport with one another.
rapt	ADJ. absorbed; enchanted. Caught up in the wonder of the storyteller's tale, the rapt listeners sat motionless, hanging on his every word.
ratiocination	N. reasoning; act of drawing conclusions from premises. While Watson was a man of average intelligence, Holmes was a genius, whose gift for ratiocination made him a superb detective.
rationalize	V. give a plausible reason for an action in place of a true, less admirable one; offer an excuse. When David told gabby Gabrielle he couldn't give her a ride to the dance because he had no room in the car, he was rationalizing; actually, he couldn't stand being cooped up in a car with anyone who talked as much as she did.
ravel	V. fall apart into tangles; unravel or untwist; entangle. A single thread pulled loose, and the entire scarf started to ravel.
raze	V. destroy completely. Spelling is important: to raise a building is to put it up; to raze a building is to tear it down.
rebuff	V. snub; beat back. She rebuffed his invitation so smoothly that he did not realize he had been snubbed. also N.
rebuke	V. scold harshly; criticize severely. No matter how sharply Miss Watson rebuked Huck for his misconduct, he never talked back but just stood there like a stump. also N.
recapitulate	V. summarize. Let us recapitulate what has been said thus far before going ahead.
recast	V. reconstruct (a sentence, story, etc.); fashion again. Let me recast this sentence in terms your feeble brain can grasp: in words of one syllable, you are a fool.
recidivism	N. habitual return to crime. Prison reformers in the United States are disturbed by the high rate of recidivism; the number of men serving second and third terms in prison indicates the failure of prisons to rehabilitate the inmates.
reciprocate	V. repay in kind. If they attack us, we shall be compelled to reciprocate and bomb their territory. reciprocity, N.
recourse	N. resorting to help when in trouble. The boy's only recourse was to appeal to his father for aid.
recrimination	N. countercharges. Loud and angry recriminations were her answer to his accusations.
rectitude	N. uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment. The Eagle Scout was a model of rectitude.
redolent	ADJ. fragrant; odorous; suggestive of an odor. Even though it is February, the air is redolent of spring.
redress	N. remedy; compensation. Do you mean to tell me that I can get no redress for my injuries? also v.
remediable	ADJ. reparable. Let us be grateful that the damage is remediable.
remiss	ADJ. negligent. The guard was accused of being remiss in his duty when the prisoner escaped.
remission	N. temporary moderation of disease symptoms; cancellation of a debt; forgiveness or pardon. Though the senator had been treated for cancer, his symptoms were in remission, and he was considered fit enough to handle the strains of a presidential race.
remunerative	ADJ. compensating; rewarding. I find my new work so remunerative that I may not return to my previous employment. remuneration, N.
rend	V. split; tear apart. In his grief, he tried to rend his garments. rent, N.
rent	N. rip; split. Kit did an excellent job of mending the rent in the lining of her coat.
repast	N. meal; feast; banquet. The caterers prepared a delicious repast for Fred and Judy's wedding day.
replete	ADJ. filled to the brim or to the point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied. The movie star's memoir was replete with juicy details about the love life of half of Hollywood.
reprieve	N. temporary stay. During the twenty-four-hour reprieve, the lawyers sought to make the stay of execution permanent. alsoV.
reprove	V. censure; rebuke. The principal severely reproved the students whenever they talked in the halls.
requiem	N. mass for the dead; dirge. They played Mozart's Requiem at the funeral.
requisite	N. necessary requirement. Many colleges state that a student must offer three years of a language as a requisite for admission.
requite	V. repay; revenge. The wretch requited his benefactors by betraying them.
resigned	ADJ. accepting one's fate; unresisting; patiently submissive. Resigned to his downtrodden existence, Bob Cratchit was too meek to protest Scrooge's bullying. resignation, N.
resplendent	ADJ. /???;???/dazzling; glorious; brilliant. While all the adults were commenting how glorious the emperor looked in his resplendent new clothes, one little boy was heard to say, "But he's naked!"
restitution	N. /??;??/reparation; indemnification. He offered to make restitution for the window broken by his son.
restive	ADJ. /?????;?????/restlessly impatient; obstinately resisting con¬trol. Waiting impatiently in line to see Santa Claus, even the best-behaved children grow restive and start to fidget.
resumption	N. /??;????/taking up again; recommencement. During summer break, Don had not realized how much he missed university life: at the resumption of classes, however, he felt marked excitement and pleasure. resume,V.
retentive	ADJ. /???;????/holding; having a good memory. The pupil did not need to spend much time studying, for he had a retentive mind and remembered all he read.
retinue	N. /????;??/following; attendants. The queen's retinue fol¬lowed her down the aisle.
retiring	ADJ. /???;???,???/modest; shy. Given Susan's retiring personal¬ity, no one expected her to take up public speaking; sur¬prisingly enough, she became a star of the school debate team,
retrench	V. /??,??;??,??/cut down; economize. In order to be able to afford to send their children to college, they would have to retrench. retrenchment, N.
retrograde	V. /???/go backwards; degenerate. instead of advancing, our civilization seems to have retrograded in ethics and culture. alsoADJ.
revelry	N. /??/boisterous merrymaking. New Year's Eve is a night of revelry
reverie	N. /??;??;???/daydream; musing. He was awakened from his reverie by the teacher's question.
revulsion	N. /??(???);??;??/sudden violent change of feeling; reaction. Many people in this country who admired dictatorships underwent a revulsion when they realized what Hitler and Mussolini were trying to do.
rhapsodize	V. /?????;????,????/to speak or write in an exaggeratedly enthu¬siastic manner. She greatly enjoyed her Hawaiian vacation and rhapsodized about it for weeks.
ribald	ADJ. /???;???;???/wanton; profane. He sang a ribald song that offended many of the more prudish listeners.
rife	ADJ. /???/abundant; current. In the face of the many rumors of scandal, which are rife at the moment, it is best to remain silent.
rift	N. /??;??/opening; break. The plane was lost in the stormy sky until the pilot saw the city through a rift in the clouds.
rig	V. /??;??/fix or manipulate. The ward boss was able to rig the election by bribing people to stuff the ballot boxes with bal¬lots marked in his candidate's favor.
riveting	ADJ. /???/absorbing; engrossing. The reviewer described Byatt's novel Possession as a riveting tale, one so absorbing that he had finished it in a single night.
rivulet	N. /??/small stream. As the rains continued, the small trickle of water running down the hillside grew into a rivulet that threatened to wash away a portion of the slope.
roil	V. /??(????);??/to make liquids murky by stirring up sediment. Be careful when you pour not to roil the wine; if you stir up the sediment you'll destroy the flavor.
rostrum	N. /???;???/platform for speech-making; pulpit. The crowd murmured angrily and indicated that they did not care to lis¬ten to the speaker who was approaching the rostrum.
rote	N. /????;????/repetition. He recited the passage by rote and gave no indication he understood what he was saying.
rousing	ADJ. /???;???/lively; stirring. "And now, let's have a rousing welcome for TV's own Roseanne Barr, who'll lead us in a rousing rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner."'
rout	V. /??;??;??/stampede; drive out. The reinforcements were able to rout the enemy. also N.
ruddy	ADJ. /??;???,?????;???/reddish; healthy-looking. Santa Claus's ruddy cheeks nicely complement Rudolph the Reindeer's bright red nose.
saccharine	ADJ. /???;???;???/cloyingly sweet. She tried to ingratiate herself, speaking sweetly and smiling a saccharine smile.
sacrosanct	ADJ. /?????/most sacred; inviolable. The brash insur¬ance salesman invaded the sacrosanct privacy of the office of the president of the company.
Sagacious	ADJ. /?????/perceptive; shrewd; having insight. My father was a sagacious judge of character: he could spot a phony a mile away. sagacity, N.
salvo	N. /????;??;????/discharge of firearms; military salute. The boom of the enemy's opening salvo made the petrified private jump.
sanctimonious	ADJ. /????;?????/displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness. You do not have to be so sanctimonious to prove that you are devout.
sate	V. /?????;?????;??/satisfy to the full; cloy. Its hunger sated. the lion dozed.
saunter	V. /??;??/stroll slowly. As we sauntered through the park, we stopped frequently to admire the spring flowers.
scad	N. /???,??/a great quantity. Refusing Dave's offer to lend him a shirt, Phil replied, "No, thanks, I've got scads of clothes."
scamp	N. /??,??/rascal. Despite his mischievous behavior, Mal¬colm was such an engaging scamp that his mother almost lacked the heart to punish him.
scanty	ADJ. /???;???/meager; insufficient. Thinking his helping of food was scanty, Oliver Twist asked for more.
scintillate	V. /????;????/sparkle; flash. I enjoy her dinner parties because the food is excellent and the conversation scintil¬lates.
scruple	V. /??;??/fret about; hesitate, for ethical reasons. Fearing that her husband had become involved in an affair, she did not scruple to read his diary. also N.
scrupulous	ADJ. /?????;???/conscientious; extremely thorough. Though Alfred is scrupulous in fulfilling his duties at work, he is less conscientious about his obligations to his family and friends.
scurvy	ADJ. /???;???,???;???/despicable; contemptible. Peter Pan sneered at Captain Hook and his scurvy crew.
scuttle	V. /????????/scurry; run with short, rapid steps. The bug scut¬tled rapidly across the floor.
scuttle	V. /??/sink. The sailors decided to scuttle their vessel rather than surrender it to the enemy.
seamy	ADJ. /???;?????/sordid; unwholesome. In The Godfather, Michael Corleone is unwilling to expose his wife and chil¬dren to the seamy side of his life as the son of a Mafia don. sear V. char or burn; brand. Accidentally brushing against the hot grill, she seared her hand badly.
sectarian	ADJ. /?????;?????;?????;???/relating to a religious faction or subgroup; narrow-minded; limited. Far from being broad-minded, the religious leader was intolerant of new ideas, paying atten¬tion only to purely sectarian interests. sect. N.
seedy	ADJ. /?????;???;????/run-down; decrepit; disreputable. I would rather stay in dormitory lodgings in a decent youth hostel than have a room of my own in a seedy downtown hotel.
seemly	ADJ. /???,???/proper; appropriate. Lady Bracknell did not think it was seemly for Ernest to lack a proper family: no baby abandoned on a doorstep could grow up to be a fit match for her daughter.
seethe	V. /???;??/be disturbed; boil. The nation was seething with discontent as the noblemen continued their arrogant ways.
sententious	ADJ. /???;????,????/terse; concise; aphoristic. After reading so many redundant speeches, I find his sententious style particularly pleasing.
serendipity	N. /??????????/gift for finding valuable or desirable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck. Many scien¬tific discoveries are a matter of serendipity. Newton was not sitting under a tree thinking about gravity when the apple dropped on his head.
serrated	ADJ. /????/having a sawtoothed edge. The beech tree is one of many plants that have serrated leaves.
sheaf	N. /?;?(??)/bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied together. The lawyer picked up a sheaf of papers as he rose to question the witness.
sheathe	V. /???/place into a case. As soon as he recognized the approaching men, he sheathed his dagger and hailed them as friends.
sheer	ADJ. /???,,???;???;???;??,??;??,??/very thin or transparent; very steep; absolute. Wearing nothing but an almost sheer robe, Delilah draped herself against the sheer temple wall. Beholding her, Sam¬son was overcome by her sheer beauty. Then she sheared his hair.
shirk	V. /??,??;??/avoid (responsibility, work, etc.); malinger. Brian has a strong sense of duty; he would never shirk any responsibility.
simper	V. /??;??/smirk; smile affectedly. Complimented on her appearance, Stella self-consciously simpered.
sinewy	ADJ. /??;???/tough; strong and firm. The steak was too sinewy to chew.
skiff	N. /??/small, light sailboat or rowboat. Tom dreamed of owning an ocean-going yacht but had to settle for a skiff he could sail in the bay.
skimp	V. /?????/provide scantily; live very economically. They were forced to skimp on necessities in order to make their limited supplies last the winter.
skinflint	N. /???;???/stingy person; miser. Scrooge was an ungener¬ous old skinflint until he reformed his ways and became a notable philanthropist.
skulk	V. /??;?????/move furtively and secretly. He skulked through the less fashionable sections of the city in order to avoid meeting any of his former friends.
slag	N. /??;??;??/residue from smelting metal; dross; waste matter. The blast furnace had a special opening at the bottom to allow the workers to remove the worthless slag.
slake	V. /??;??;??;????/quench; sate. When we reached the oasis, we were able to slake our thirst.
slapdash	ADJ. /???/haphazard; careless; sloppy. From the number of typos and misspellings I've found in it, it's clear that Mario proofread the report in a remarkably slapdash fashion.
sleeper	N. /??;??;??;?????/something originally of little value or importance that in time becomes very valuable. Unnoticed by the critics at its publication, the eventual Pulitzer Prize winner was a classic sleeper.
sleight	N. /???/dexterity. The magician amazed the audience with his sleight of hand.
slight	N. /??;??;??/insult to one's dignity; snub. Hypersensitive and ready to take offense at any discourtesy, Bertha was always on the lookout for real or imaginary slights. alsoV.
slovenly	ADJ. /???;?????/untidy; careless in work habits. Unshaven, sitting around in his bathrobe all afternoon, Gus didn't seem to care about the slovenly appearance he presented. The dark ring around the bathtub and the spider webs hanging from the beams proved what a slovenly housekeeper she was.
sluggish	ADJ. /?????/Slow; lazy; lethargic. After two nights without sleep, she felt sluggish and incapable of exertion.
smolder	V. /??;??????/burn without flame; be liable to break out at any moment. The rags smoldered for hours before they burst into flame.
sojourn	N. /??/temporary stay. After his sojourn in Florida, he began to long for the colder climate of his native New Eng¬land home.
solace	N. /??/comfort in trouble. I hope you will find solace in the thought that all of us share your loss.
solecism	N. /????;??/construction that is flagrantly incorrect gram¬matically. I must give this paper a failing mark because it contains many solecisms.
solemnity	N. /???;?????/seriousness; gravity. The minister was con¬cerned that nothing should disturb the solemnity of the mar¬riage service. solemn,ADJ.
solvent	ADJ. /??????/able to pay all debts. By dint of very frugal liv¬ing, he was finally able to become solvent and avoid bank¬ruptcy proceedings.
somber	ADJ. /???;???;???/gloomy; depressing; dark; drab. From the doctor's grim expression, I could tell he had somber news. Dull brown and charcoal gray are pretty somber colors; can't you wear something bright?
somnambulist	N. /?????/sleepwalker. The most famous somnam¬bulist in literature is Lady Macbeth; her monologue in the sleepwalking scene is one of the highlights of Shake¬speare's play.
somnolent	ADJ. /???;?????/half asleep. The heavy meal and the over¬heated room made us all somnolent and indifferent to the speaker.
sonorous	ADJ. /???/resonant. His sonorous voice resounded through the hall.
sophistry	N. /?????/seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning. Instead of advancing valid arguments, he tried to over¬whelm his audience with a flood of sophistries.
sovereign	ADJ. /???;?????/efficacious; supreme or paramount; self¬governing. Professor Pennywhistle claimed his panacea was a sovereign cure for all chronic complaints. In medi¬cine the sovereign task of the doctor is to do no harm. Rebelling against the mother country, the onetime colony now proclaimed itself a sovereign state. also N.
spangle	N. /????????????/small metallic piece sewn to clothing for orna¬mentation. The thousands of spangles on her dress sparkled in the glare of the stage lights.
spartan	ADJ. /???;???;?????;????/avoiding luxury and comfort; sternly disci¬plined. Looking over the bare, unheated room, with its hard cot, he wondered what he was doing in such spartan quar¬ters. Only his spartan sense of duty kept him at his post.
spasmodic	ADJ. /?????;???/fitful; periodic. The spasmodic coughing in the auditorium annoyed the performers.
spate	N. /??;???;????/sudden flood or strong outburst; a large number or amount. After the spate of angry words that came pour¬ing out of him, Mary was sure they would never be recon¬ciled.
spatial	ADJ. /???/relating to space. NASA is engaged in an ongoing program of spatial exploration. When Jay says he's studying spatial relations, that doesn't mean he has rela¬tives in outer space.
sphinx-like	ADJ. /??/enigmatic; mysterious. The Mona Lisa's sphinx-like expression has intrigued and mystified art lovers for centuries.
sportive	ADJ. /???;???/playful. Such a sportive attitude is surprising in a person as serious as you usually are.
spry	ADJ. /?????;???;???/vigorously active; nimble. She was eighty years old, yet still spry and alert.
spurious	ADJ. /???,???/false; counterfeit; forged; illogical. The antique dealer hero of Jonathan Gash's mystery novels gives the reader tips on how to tell spurious antiques from the real thing. Natasha's claim to be the lost heir of the Romanoffs was spurious: the only thing Russian about her was the vodka she drank!
spurn	V. /??;??/reject; scorn. The heroine spurned the villain's advances.
squat	ADJ. /???;?????;???/stocky; short and thick. Tolkien's hobbits are somewhat squat, sturdy little creatures, fond of good ale, good music, and good mushrooms.
staid	ADJ. /???;???/sober; sedate. Her conduct during the funeral ceremony was staid and solemn.
stalwart	ADJ. /???;???/strong, brawny; steadfast. His consistent support of the party has proved that he is a stalwart and loyal member. also N.
statute	N. /??;??/law enacted by the legislature. The statute of limitations sets the limits on how long you have to take legal action in specific cases.
steep	V. /??,??;??;??/soak; saturate. Be sure to steep the fabric in the dyebath for the full time prescribed.
stellar	ADJ. /???;???/pertaining to the stars. He was the stellar attraction of the entire performance.
stem	V. /????/check the flow. The paramedic used a tourniquet to stem the bleeding from the slashed artery.
stilted	ADJ. /???;???;???;????/bombastic; inflated. His stilted rhetoric did not impress the college audience; they were immune to bom¬bastic utterances.
stodgy	ADJ. /???;???/stuffy; boringly conservative. For a young per¬son, Winston seems remarkably stodgy: you'd expect someone his age to show a little more life.
stoke	V. /??;??/stir up a fire; feed plentifully. As a Scout Marisa learned how to light a fire, how to stoke it if it started to die down, and how to extinguish it completely.
stratum	N. /??;????/layer of earth's surface; layer of society. Unless we alleviate conditions in the lowest stratum of our society, we may expect grumbling and revolt.
strew	V. /??;????;??/spread randomly; sprinkle; scatter. Preceding the bride to the altar, the flower girl will strew rose petals along the aisle.
studied	ADJ. /????;???;????/not spontaneous; deliberate; thoughtful. Given Jill's previous slights, Jack felt that the omission of his name from the guest list was a studied insult.
stymie	V. /????;??;???/present an obstacle; stump. The detective was stymied by the contradictory evidence in the robbery inves¬tigation. also N.
suborn	V. /??/persuade to act unlawfully (especially to commit perjury). In The Godfather, the mobsters used bribery and threats to suborn the witnesses against Don Michael Cor¬leone.
subservient	ADJ. /????;???/behaving like a slave; servile; obse¬quious. He was proud and dignified; he refused to be sub¬servient to anyone.
sully	V. /??;??/tarnish; soil. He felt that it was beneath his dignity to sully his hands in such menial labor.
sultry	ADJ. /???,???;???;???/sweltering. He could not adjust himself to the sultryclimate of the tropics.
sumptuous	ADJ. /???;???/lavish; rich. I cannot recall when I have had such a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast.
superfluous	ADJ. /????;???/unnecessary; excessive; overabundant. Betsy lacked the heart to tell June that the wedding present she brought was superfluous; she and Bob had already received five toasters. Please try not to include so many superfluous details in your report; just give me the facts. superfluity, N.
superimpose	V. /??/place over something else. Your attempt to superimpose another agency in this field will merely increase the bureaucratic nature of our government.
supple	ADJ. /???;???;???/flexible; pliant. Years of yoga exercises made Grace's body supple.
supplicate	V. /??;??/petition humbly; pray to grant a favor. We supplicate Your Majesty to grant him amnesty.
surfeit	V. /????;??/satiate; stuff; indulge to excess in anything. Every Thanksgiving we are surfeited with an overabun¬dance of holiday treats. also N.
surly	ADJ. /???;???;????;???/rude; cross. Because of his surly attitude, many people avoided his company.
surmise	V. /??/guess. I surmise that he will be late for this meeting. also N.
surreptitious	ADJ. /???;???/secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden. Hoping to discover where his mom had hidden the Christmas pre¬sents, Timmy took a surreptitious peek into the master bed¬room closet.
suture	N. /??;???/stitches sewn to hold the cut edges of a wound or incision; material used in sewing. We will remove the sutures as soon as the wound heals. alsoV.
swarthy	ADJ. /??;???/dark; dusky. Despite the stereotypes, not all Italians are swarthy, many are fair and blond.
swathe	V. /???;??/wrap around; bandage. When I visited him in the hospital, I found him swathed in bandages.
swelter	V. /??;??/be oppressed by heat. I am going to buy an air conditioning unit for my apartment as I do not intend to swelter through another hot and humid summer.
swill	V. /??/drink greedily. Singing "Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum," Long John Silver and his fellow pirates swilled their grog.
sybarite	N. /??????/lover of luxury. Rich people are not always sybarites; some of them have little taste for a life of luxury.
synoptic	ADJ. /???/providing a general overview; summary. The professor turned to the latest issue of Dissertation Abstracts for a synoptic account of what was new in the field. synop¬SiS, N.

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