English Study - Vocab Builder Unknowns 745 Part 2

Front 1

tensile

Back 1

capable of being stretched; of tension; Ex. tensile rubber

Front 2

tendentious

Back 2

promoting a particular point of view; biased; having an aim; designed to further a cause; Ex. tendentious rather than truth-seeking; CF. tend: move in a certain direction

Front 3

teetotalism

Back 3

practice of abstaining totally from alcoholic drinks; N. teetotaler;; ADJ. teetotal; CF. T + total

Front 4

tawdry

Back 4

cheap and gaudy; Ex. tawdry jewelry

Front 5

tarry

Back 5

–verb (used without object)
1. to remain or stay, as in a place; sojourn: He tarried in Baltimore on his way to Washington.
2. to delay or be tardy in acting, starting, coming, etc.; linger or loiter.
3. to wait.

Front 6

synoptic

Back 6

providing a general overview; summary; N. synopsis

Front 7

sylvan

Back 7

pertaining to the woods or the country

Front 8

syllogism

Back 8

deceptive or specious argument

Front 9

sybarite

Back 9

lover of luxury; person devoted to pleasure and luxury; CF. Sybaris: an ancient Greek city in Italy

Front 10

swathe

Back 10

swath; wrap around; bandage; Ex. one's head swathed in bandages

Front 11

swarthy

Back 11

(of skin color, complexion, etc.) dark.

Front 12

supplicate

Back 12

petition humbly; pray to grant a favor

Front 13

supine

Back 13

lying on back; passive; inactive; Ex. The defeated pugilist lay supine; Ex. supine acceptance of the decision

Front 14

supererogatory

Back 14

1. Going beyond what is required or expected.
2. Superfluous; unnecessary.

He deemed the leading of an ascetic life ultimately as a supererogatory act, since baptism was the sole criterion by which one's Christian identity could be defined.

Front 15

superannuated

Back 15

retired or disqualified because of age; outmoded; obsolete

Front 16

sundry

Back 16

miscellaneous; various; several; N. sundries: small miscellaneous items

Front 17

sumptuous

Back 17

grand suggesting great expense; lavish; rich; Ex. sumptuous feast

Front 18

succor

Back 18

assist (someone in difficulty); aid; comfort; N.

Front 19

subsume

Back 19

include (as a member of a group); encompass

Front 20

stygian

Back 20

unpleasantly dark; gloomy; hellish; deathly; CF. Styx: the chief river in the subterranean land of the dead

Front 21

stolid

Back 21

dull; impassive; showing little emotion when strong feelings are expected

Front 22

stodgy

Back 22

dull; stuffy; boringly conservative; Ex. stodgy book

Front 23

stilted

Back 23

bombastic; stiffly pompous; Ex. stilted rhetoric; CF. stiff: formal

Front 24

stanch

Back 24

stop or check flow of blood; Ex. stanch the gushing wound

Front 25

staid

Back 25

serious and sedate; sober; Ex. staid during the funeral ceremony

Front 26

staccato

Back 26

played in an abrupt manner; marked by abrupt sharp sound; Ex. staccato applause

Front 27

spurious

Back 27

false; counterfeit; forged; illogical; Ex. spurious arguments

Front 28

sphinx-like

Back 28

enigmatic; mysterious

Front 29

spendthrift

Back 29

someone who wastes money; CF. thrift: accumulated wealth

Front 30

sophomoric

Back 30

1. of or pertaining to a sophomore or sophomores.
2. suggestive of or resembling the traditional sophomore; intellectually pretentious, overconfident, conceited, etc., but immature: sophomoric questions.

Front 31

sophistry

Back 31

seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning; sophism 1. Plausible but fallacious argumentation. 2. A plausible but misleading or fallacious argument.

Front 32

somnolent

Back 32

half asleep; drowsy; N. somnolence

Front 33

somnambulist

Back 33

sleepwalker; V. somnambulate; N. somnambulism

Front 34

somatic

Back 34

pertaining to the body; bodily; physical

Front 35

slew

Back 35

large quantity or number; Ex. slew of errands left

Front 36

slapdash

Back 36

hasty and careless; haphazard; sloppy(carelessly done)

Front 37

slag

Back 37

glassy residue from smelting metal; dross; waste matter

Front 38

skulduggery

Back 38

dishonest behavior or action; Ex. skulduggery in the election

Front 39

skinflint

Back 39

miser; stingy person

Front 40

sidereal

Back 40

relating to stars; # Measured or determined by means of the apparent daily motion of the stars: sidereal time.

Front 41

sibylline

Back 41

prophetic; oracular; N. sibyl: woman prophet (in the ancient world)

Front 42

shyster

Back 42

lawyer using questionable methods; unscrupulous practioner

Front 43

sere

Back 43

adj. Withered; dry: sere vegetation at the edge of the desert.

Front 44

septic

Back 44

of or causing sepsis; putrid; producing putrefaction; N. sepsis: poisoning of part of the body (producing pus)

Front 45

seminary

Back 45

school for training future ministers; secondary school, especially for young women

Front 46

seine

Back 46

seine net; net for catching fish

Front 47

seemly

Back 47

proper; appropriate

Front 48

sectarian

Back 48

of a sect; narrow-minded; parochial; N: member of a sect; narrow-minded person

Front 49

seamy

Back 49

sordid; base; filthy; unwholesome; Ex. seamy side of city life

Front 50

scuttle

Back 50

sink (a ship) by cutting holes in the hull; scrap; discard; N: small hatch in a ship's deck or hull

Front 51

scurvy (adj.)

Back 51

contemptible; despicable; N: disease caused by deficiency of Vitamin C

Front 52

scurrilous

Back 52

abusive; obscene; indecent; Ex. scurrilous remark

Front 53

scrupulous

Back 53

conscientious; extremely thorough; Ex. scrupulous worker

Front 54

scotch

Back 54

stamp out(put an end to); thwart; hinder; Ex. scotch the rumor; CF. cut

Front 55

scad

Back 55

a great quantity; Ex. scads of clothes

Front 56

satyr

Back 56

1. man with strong sexual desires 2. one of a class of woodland deities; attendant on Bacchus; identified with Roman fauns

Front 57

sartorial

Back 57

pertaining to tailors or tailoring; Ex. a man of great sartorial elegance; CF. sartor: tailor

Front 58

salutary

Back 58

tending to improve; beneficial; wholesome; Ex. The punishment had a salutary effect on the boy;

Front 59

salubrious

Back 59

healthful; conducive to health or well-being; socially desirable;

Front 60

sallow

Back 60

yellowish and unhealthy-looking; sickly in color; Ex. sallow complexion due to jaundice

Front 61

salacious

Back 61

lascivious; lustful; Ex. salacious monk

Front 62

rusticate

Back 62

banish to the country; dwell in the country

Front 63

rostrum

Back 63

raised platform for speech-making; pulpit

Front 64

roseate

Back 64

rosy; optimistic; Ex. roseate views

Front 65

rivulet

Back 65

small stream; CF. rill < rivulet < river

Front 66

rider

Back 66

amendment or clause added to a legislative bill

Front 67

ribald

Back 67

marked by vulgar lewd humor; wanton; profane; N. ribaldry: ribald language or joke

Front 68

revile

Back 68

attack with abusive language; vilify(slander)

Front 69

retinue

Back 69

following; attendants

Front 70

requite

Back 70

1. To make repayment or return for: requite another's love. See Synonyms at reciprocate.
2. To avenge.

requittal

Front 71

reprobate

Back 71

morally disapproved person; person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency; CF. disapproved by God ?

Front 72

repose

Back 72

resting; state of being at rest; calmness;
4. absence of movement, animation, etc.: When in repose, her face recalls the Mona Lisa.

V: lie at rest; lie dead; relax;

put or place; Ex. repose our hopes in a single man

Front 73

repine

Back 73

fret; complain; be annoyed; Ex. repine over the undone work

Front 74

repartee

Back 74

quick clever reply

Front 75

relegate

Back 75

put into a lower or worse place; banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign; Ex. relegate the old furniture to the children's room; Ex. relegated to the second division

Front 76

rejoin

Back 76

reply; retort; comeback; V. rejoin: say in reply

Front 77

regatta

Back 77

boat or yacht race

Front 78

refractory

Back 78

unmanageable; disobedient and stubborn; Ex. refractory horse

Front 79

redolent

Back 79

odorous; fragrant; suggestive (of an odor); Ex. redolent of onions/mystery

Front 80

rectitude

Back 80

moral correctness; moral uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment

Front 81

recreant

Back 81

disloyal; cowardly; N: disloyal and cowardly person

having deserted a cause or principle; "some provinces had proved recreant";
2. lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful; "this recreant knight"

Front 82

recondite

Back 82

abstruse; not easily understood; profound; secret

Front 83

ratiocination

Back 83

reasoning; act of drawing conclusions from premises; V. ratiocinate: reason logically

Front 84

ramshackle

Back 84

poorly constructed; rickety; falling apart

Front 85

ramify

Back 85

branch out; divide into branches or subdivisions

Front 86

rake

Back 86

immoral or dissolute person

Front 87

raiment

Back 87

clothing; garments; Ex. I have no raiment fit to wear

Front 88

ragamuffin

Back 88

dirty child in torn clothes; person wearing tattered clothes

Front 89

raconteur

Back 89

story-teller; one who tells stories with wit and skill

An excellent raconteur, he had a varied stock of stories and enjoyed the joke just as much when it was on himself as he did when it was on some one else.

Front 90

quixotic

Back 90

2. extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable. 3. impulsive and often rashly unpredictable.

Front 91

quay

Back 91

dock; wharf; pier; landing place (for boats)

Front 92

putrescent

Back 92

becoming putrid; putrefying

Front 93

punctilious

Back 93

minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points; stressing niceties of conduct or form; N. punctilio, punctiliousness: careful attention payed to every small exact detail

Front 94

pulmonary

Back 94

pertaining to the lungs

Front 95

puissant

Back 95

powerful; strong; potent; N. puissance: power

Front 96

prurient

Back 96

having or causing lustful desires and thoughts; arousing immoderate sexual desire

Front 97

provenance

Back 97

place of origin; origin or source of something; Ex. Gunpowder is of Chinese provenance; CF. come

Front 98

protuberance

Back 98

protrusion; swelling; bulge

Front 99

protean

Back 99

1. readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable.
3. (of an actor or actress) versatile; able to play many kinds of roles.;

CF. Proteus: sea god to change his shape at will

Front 100

proscribe

Back 100

prohibit; ostracize; banish; outlaw

Front 101

propinquity

Back 101

nearness (in space or relationship); proximity; kinship

Front 102

promontory

Back 102

1. a high point of land or rock projecting into the sea or other water beyond the line of coast; a headland. 2. a bluff, or part of a plateau, overlooking a lowland.

Front 103

prolixity

Back 103

tedious wordiness; verbosity; ADJ. prolix: wordy; verbose; diffuse

Front 104

prognosticate

Back 104

predict (according to present indications)

Front 105

preternatural

Back 105

beyond what is normal in nature; supernatural; Ex. preternatural strength/forces

Front 106

prepossessing

Back 106

Serving to impress favorably; pleasing: a prepossessing appearance.

Front 107

premonitory

Back 107

serving to warn

Front 108

prehensile

Back 108

capable of grasping or holding (esp. by wrapping around); Ex. prehensile tails

Front 109

precept

Back 109

practical rule guiding conduct; Ex. mother's precept

Front 110

prate

Back 110

talk idly; speak foolishly; boast idly

Front 111

potentate

Back 111

n. 1. One who has the power and position to rule over others; a monarch. 2. One who dominates or leads a group or an endeavor: industrial potentates.

Front 112

polyglot

Back 112

speaking several languages; multilingual; Ex. polyglot person/society; N.

Front 113

podiatrist

Back 113

doctor who treats ailments of the feet; chiropodist; N. podiatrics

Front 114

plutocracy

Back 114

society ruled by the wealthy

Front 115

pliant

Back 115

flexible; easily influenced

Front 116

plenitude

Back 116

abundance; plenty; great amount; completeness; fullness; CF. plenary, plenty

Front 117

plebeian

Back 117

common; vulgar; pertaining to the common people; N: common people in ancient Rome; CF. patrician

Front 118

plait

Back 118

braid; interwine; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; Ex. plaited hair; N: braided length as of hair o fabric; CF. pigtail, ponytail

Front 119

plaintive

Back 119

expressing sorrow; mournful; Ex. plaintive song

Front 120

pith

Back 120

core or marrow; spongelike substance in the center of stems; essence; substance

Front 121

piscatorial

Back 121

pertaining to fishing; CF. Pisces

Front 122

pique

Back 122

irritation; resentment from wounded pride (eg. loss in a contest); V: provoke; arouse; annoy; cause to feel resentment; Ex. pique her curiosity

Front 123

piquant

Back 123

pleasantly tart-tasting; spicy; pleasantly stimulating; Ex. piquant situation when my old enemy asked for my help

Front 124

pillory

Back 124

punish by placing in a wooden frame or pillory; subject or expose to criticism and ridicule; N.

Front 125

pied

Back 125

piebald; variegated(many-colored); multicolored

Front 126

piebald

Back 126

of different colors; mottled; spotted in different colors (esp. in black and white); Ex. piebald horse; CF. pie+bald

Front 127

physiognomy

Back 127

face (as showing the character and the mind); art of judging human character from facial features

Front 128

philology

Back 128

study of language or words

Front 129

philatelist

Back 129

stamp-collector; N. philately: stamp collecting

Front 130

hypocritcally self-righteous person

Back 130

Pharisee: member of an ancient Jewish group that emphasized strict observance of the Mosaic law (considering themselves very holy); hypocritical self-righteous person

Front 131

perspicuous

Back 131

plainly expressed; easy to understand; Ex. perspicuous comments

Front 132

perspicuity

Back 132

clearness of expression; freedom from ambiguity

Front 133

perigee

Back 133

point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth; CF. apogee

Front 134

peremptory

Back 134

demanding and leaving no choice; imperative; Ex. peremptory decree/knock

Front 135

peregrination

Back 135

journey; V. peregrinate

Front 136

perdition

Back 136

damnation; complete ruin; hell

Front 137

penury

Back 137

extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy

Front 138

penumbra

Back 138

partial shadow (in an eclipse); CF. almost shadow

Front 139

pensive

Back 139

dreamily or deeply thoughtful; sadly thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative; CF. think over

Front 140

penology

Back 140

study of prison management and criminal rehabilitation

Front 141

penitent

Back 141

repentant; N.

Front 142

penchant

Back 142

strong inclination; strong liking (esp. for something that is disapproved of by other people); Ex. penchant for fast cars

Front 143

penance

Back 143

self-imposed punishment for sin; Ex. do penance for one's sins; CF. penitent

Front 144

pellucid

Back 144

transparent; limpid(crystal clear); clear in meaning; easy to understand

Front 145

limpid

Back 145

1. clear, transparent, or pellucid, as water, crystal, or air: We could see to the very bottom of the limpid pond. 2. free from obscurity; lucid; clear: a limpid style; limpid prose. 3. completely calm; without distress or worry: a limpid, emotionless existence.

Front 146

pell-mell

Back 146

in confusion; disorderly; Ex. dash pell-mell

Front 147

patina

Back 147

green crust on old bronze works or copper; tone slowly taken by varnished painting

Front 148

pathos

Back 148

tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings; Ex. pathos that runs through the novel

Front 149

patent

Back 149

obvious; easily seen; open for the public to read; of or protected by a patent; Ex. patent to everyone; N.

Front 150

pastiche

Back 150

imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing; work of art openly imitating the works of other artists

Front 151

parvenu

Back 151

upstart; newly rich person

Front 152

parsimonious

Back 152

stinginess; excessive frugality; ADJ. parsimonious

Front 153

parry

Back 153

ward off a blow; deflect; Ex. He parried the unwelcome question very skillfully;

Front 154

paroxysm

Back 154

fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage; sudden outburst

Front 155

parley

Back 155

conference (between opponents)

Front 156

parlance

Back 156

language; manner of speaking; idiom; Ex. in legal/common parlance

Front 157

pare (verb)

Back 157

cut away the outer covering or skin of (with a knife); trim; Ex. pare apples/expenses

Front 158

paramour

Back 158

illicit lover

Front 159

pantomime

Back 159

the art or technique of conveying emotions, actions, feelings, etc., by gestures without speech.

Front 160

panache

Back 160

flair; manner of doing things without any difficulty (causing admiration); flamboyance; bunch of feathers (on a helmet); Ex. with great panache;

Front 161

opiate

Back 161

medicine to induce sleep or deaden pain; something that relieves emotions or causes inaction; sleep-producing drug containing opium

Front 162

officious

Back 162

meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services; overly eager in offering unwanted services or advices; Ex. officious bellboy

Front 163

obstetrician

Back 163

physician specializing in delivery(assisting in giving birth) of babies; N. obstetrics; CF. midwife

Front 164

obsequy

Back 164

n. pl. ob·se·quies
A funeral rite or ceremony. Often used in the plural.

Front 165

obloquy

Back 165

1. Strongly condemnatory or abusive language or utterance.
2. The condition of disgrace suffered as a result of public blame, abuse, or condemnation; ill repute.

There he remained, weeping indignantly at her stream of obloquy, bitterly ashamed of his tears, until it was time for supper.
-- Jonathan Keates, Stendhal

Once installed in office he earned near-universal obloquy by pushing through the biggest tax increase in the state's history.

Front 166

obdurate

Back 166

stubborn; refusing to change one's belief

Front 167

nugatory

Back 167

worthless; futile

Etymology: Latin nugatorius, from nugari to trifle, from nugae trifles
: being without operative legal effect <held that such an interpretation would render the statute nugatory>e

Front 168

nubile

Back 168

marriageable; of marriageable age

Front 169

nostrum

Back 169

questionable medicine; quack medicine;

Front 170

nonplus

Back 170

put at a loss; bring to a halt by confusion; perplex;

Front 171

niggle

Back 171

spend too much time on minor points (esp. when finding fault); find fault; Ex. niggle over details; ADJ. niggling

Front 172

nicety

Back 172

precision; accuracy; minute distinction or difference; Ex. to a nicety: exactly; precisely; Ex. distinguish between niceties

Front 173

nettle

Back 173

irritate; annoy; vex; ADJ. nettlesome

Front 174

natty

Back 174

neatly or smartly dressed; dapper; smart; Ex. natty dresser

Front 175

mutability

Back 175

–adjective
1. liable or subject to change or alteration.
2. given to changing; constantly changing; fickle or inconstant: the mutable ways of fortune.

Front 176

mulct

Back 176

defraud a person of something; swindle; Ex. mulct the boy of his legacy

Front 177

mountebank

Back 177

1. A hawker of quack medicines who attracts customers with stories, jokes, or tricks.
2. A flamboyant charlatan.

Front 178

motility

Back 178

Moving or able to move by itself.

Sperm and certain spores are motile.

Front 179

mordant

Back 179

biting; sarcastic; stinging; (apprec.) incisive; cutting; Ex. mordant pen/wit

Front 180

modish

Back 180

fashionable; conforming to the current fashion

Front 181

miscreant

Back 181

wretch; wrongdoer; villain; Ex. kindness to the miscreant;

Front 182

miscellany

Back 182

mixture of writings on various subjects; collection of various items

Front 183

miasma

Back 183

swamp gas; heavy vaporous atmosphere often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence; noxious atmosphere or influence

Front 184

mete

Back 184

measure; distribute; administer; Ex. mete out justice/punishment

Front 185

meretricious

Back 185

flashy; tawdry; attractive on the surface but of no real value; Ex. metericious argument/jewel; CF. prostitute

Front 186

menagerie

Back 186

collection of wild animals on exhibition; zoo

Front 187

megalomania

Back 187

mania for doing grandiose things; mental disorder characterized by delusions of wealth, power, or importance

Front 188

mealymouthed

Back 188

indirect in speech (when something unpleasant must be said); hypocritical; evasive

Front 189

mawkish

Back 189

mushy(sentimental) and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; excessively and objectionably sentimental

Front 190

maverick

Back 190

rebel; nonconformist (in a group)

Front 191

maudlin

Back 191

effusively sentimental

Front 192

martinet

Back 192

strict disciplinarian; person who demands total obedience to rules and orders;

Front 193

manumit

Back 193

emancipate; free from slavery or bondage

Front 194

manifold

Back 194

many in number or kind; numerous; varied

Front 195

manacle

Back 195

restrain; handcuff; N.

Front 196

malodorous

Back 196

foul-smelling

Front 197

malingerer

Back 197

one who feigns illness to escape duty; V. malinger: feign illness to avoid work

Front 198

malcontent

Back 198

person dissatisfied with existing state of affairs; discontented person; ADJ: discontented

Front 199

malapropos

Back 199

inappropriate; (French. Opposite of apropos)

Front 200

malapropism

Back 200

comic misuse of a word

Front 201

maladroit

Back 201

clumsy; not skillful; awkward; bungling