English Vocab 1

Front 1

straddle (v)

Back 1

sit or stand astride of

Front 2

outhouse (n)

Back 2

a small outbuilding with a bench having holes through which a user can defecate

Front 3

yardmaster

Back 3

a railroad employer who is in charge of a railway yard

Front 4

purchase (n)

Back 4

1 - the acquisition of something for payment
2 - a means of exerting influence or gaining advantage

Front 5

water moccasin

Back 5

any of numerous North American water snakes inhabiting fresh waters

Front 6

hoe (n)

Back 6

a tool with a flat blade attached at right angles to a long handle

Front 7

scab (n)

Back 7

1 - someone who works during a strike
2 - the crustlike surface of a healing skin lesion

Front 8

limey (n)

Back 8

a man of English descent

Front 9

joist (n)

Back 9

beam used to support floors or roofs

Front 10

dawdle (v)

Back 10

1 - take one's time; proceed slowly
2 - waste time

Front 11

diddle (v)

Back 11

deprive of by deceit

Front 12

dowser (n)

Back 12

someone who uses a divining rod to find underground water

Front 13

connive (v)

Back 13

form intrigues in an underhand manner

Front 14

peremptorily (adv)

Back 14

in an imperative and commanding manner

Front 15

jamb (n)

Back 15

upright consisting of a vertical side member of a door or window frame

Front 16

perfidy

Back 16

an act of deliberate betrayal

Front 17

lothario

Back 17

a successful womanizer

Front 18

bight (n)

Back 18

1 - a loop in a rope
2 - a bend or curve (especially in a coastline)

Front 19

wizened

Back 19

lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness

Front 20

prise (v)

Back 20

to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open

Front 21

cull (n)

Back 21

person or thing rejected or set aside as inferior in quality

Front 22

cull (v)

Back 22

remove something that has been rejected

Front 23

thrall (n)

Back 23

the state of being under the control of another person

Front 24

enthrall (v)

Back 24

hold spellbound

Front 25

chute (n)

Back 25

sloping channel through which things can descend

Front 26

molting

Back 26

periodic shedding of the cuticle in arthropods or the outer skin in reptiles

Front 27

overwrought

Back 27

deeply agitated especially from emotion; distraught with grief

Front 28

ersatz

Back 28

an artificial or inferior substitute or imitation

Front 29

erstwhile (adj)

Back 29

belonging to some prior time

Front 30

tattletale (n)

Back 30

someone who gossips indiscreetly

Front 31

doppelganger

Back 31

a ghostly double of a living person that haunts its living counterpart

Front 32

wren (n)

Back 32

and of several small active brown birds of the northern hemisphere with short upright tails; they feed on insects

Front 33

scrawny

Back 33

1- having unattractive thinness
2- inferior in size or quality

Front 34

dearth

Back 34

an insufficient quantity or number

Front 35

silver speech

Back 35

eloquent

Front 36

hebetude (n)

Back 36

mental lethargy or dullness

Front 37

umbrage (n)

Back 37

a feeling of anger caused by being offended

Front 38

motley

Back 38

consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

Front 39

haphazard (adj)

Back 39

dependent upon or characterized by chance

Front 40

haphazard (adv)

Back 40

without care

Front 41

slob (n)

Back 41

a coarse obnoxious person

Front 42

partake (v)

Back 42

have, give, or receive a share of

Front 43

banister (n)

Back 43

a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling

Front 44

balustrade (n)

Back 44

a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling

Front 45

handrail (n)

Back 45

a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling

Front 46

sallow (adj)

Back 46

unhealthy looking

Front 47

festoon (v)

Back 47

decorate with strings of flowers

Front 48

slugfest (n)

Back 48

a fight with bare fists

Front 49

brawn

Back 49

possessing muscular strength

Front 50

scowl (v)

Back 50

frown with displeasure

Front 51

scowl (v)

Back 51

frown with displeasure

Front 52

slab (n)

Back 52

block consisting of a thick piece of something

Front 53

thatch (n)

Back 53

a house roof made with a plant material (as straw)

Front 54

purloin (v)

Back 54

make off with belongings of others

Front 55

hoodwink (v)

Back 55

conceal on'e true motives from, especially feigning good intentions so as to gain an end

Front 56

bamboozle (v)

Back 56

deceive by trickery

Front 57

steed

Back 57

(literary) a spirited horse for state or war

Front 58

coop

Back 58

a farm building for housing poultry

Front 59

hackeneyed (adj)

Back 59

repeated too often; overused

Front 60

defile (v)

Back 60

make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically

Front 61

terminus (n)

Back 61

a place where something ends or is complete

Front 62

turned out (adj)

Back 62

dressed well or smartly

Front 63

catty-corner (adj)

Back 63

slanted across a polygon on a diagonal line

Front 64

slant (n)

Back 64

1- a biased way of looking at
2- degree of deviation from a horizontal plane

Front 65

footlocker (n)

Back 65

a trunk for storing personal possessions, usually kept at the foot of a bed

Front 66

ablution (n)

Back 66

the ritual washing of a priest's hands or of sacred vessels

Front 67

smock (n)

Back 67

a loose coverall reaching down to the ankles

Front 68

frock (n)

Back 68

a one-piece garment for a woman, has bodice and skirt; dress

Front 69

blandishment (n)

Back 69

flattery intended to persuade

Front 70

ratty (adj)

Back 70

showing signs of wear and tear

Front 71

teetotal (adj)

Back 71

practicing complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages

Front 72

bridle road

Back 72

a path suitable for riding or leading horses (but not for cars)

Front 73

chuck (v)

Back 73

1- throw carelessly
2- vomit

Front 74

doodad (n)

Back 74

something whose name is either forgotten or not known

Front 75

doodle (n)

Back 75

an aimless drawing

Front 76

niggle (v)

Back 76

1- worry unnecessarily
2- argue over petty things

Front 77

bog (n)

Back 77

wet spongy ground of decomposing vegetation

Front 78

natter (v)

Back 78

talk socially without exchanging too much information

Front 79

turnstile (n)

Back 79

a gate consisting of a post that acts as a pivot for rotating arms

Front 80

stile (n)

Back 80

an upright that is a member in a door or window frame

Front 81

upright (adj)

Back 81

in a vertical position

Front 82

copse (n)

Back 82

a dense growth of bushes

Front 83

heirloom (n)

Back 83

something that has been in a family for generations

Front 84

daft (adj)

Back 84

informal or slang term for mentally irregular

Front 85

hitherto (adv)

Back 85

up to the present time (formal)

Front 86

tosh (n)

Back 86

pretentious or silly talk or writing

Front 87

verve (n)

Back 87

an energetic style

Front 88

plaster (v)

Back 88

1- affix conspicuously
2- apply a plaster cast
3- dress by covering with a therapeutic substance

Front 89

tarmac (n)

Back 89

a paving material of tar and broken stone

Front 90

heron (n)

Back 90

gray or white wading bird with long neck and long legs an usually long bill

Front 91

sluice (n)

Back 91

conduit that carries a rapid flow of water controlled by a sluicegate

Front 92

gaudy (adj)

Back 92

tastelessly showy

Front 93

treacle (n)

Back 93

1- a pale cane syrup
2- an expression that is excessively sweet and sentimental

Front 94

sod (n)

Back 94

surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots

Front 95

draft (n)

Back 95

1- a serving of drink from a keg
2- a current of air

Front 96

trestle (n)

Back 96

a supporting tower used to support a bridge

Front 97

pithy (adj)

Back 97

concise and full of meaning

Front 98

mould (n)

Back 98

loose soil rich in organic matter

Front 99

ennui (n)

Back 99

the feeling of being bored by something tedious

Front 100

stag (n)

Back 100

male red deer

Front 101

adder (n)

Back 101

a small terrestrial viper common in northern Eurasia

Front 102

porridge (n)

Back 102

soft food made by boiling oatmeal or other meal or legumes in water or milk until thick

Front 103

wrought (adj)

Back 103

shaped to fit by

Front 104

mollify (v)

Back 104

gain the good will of; cause to be more favorably inclined

Front 105

remonstrate (v)

Back 105

argue in protest or opposition

Front 106

micturate (v)

Back 106

urinate

Front 107

garish (adj)

Back 107

tastelessly showy

Front 108

gimcrack (adj)

Back 108

tastelessly showy

Front 109

meretricious (adj)

Back 109

tastelessly showy

Front 110

mat (v)

Back 110

twist together or entwine into a confusing mass; entangle

Front 111

reed (n)

Back 111

tall woody perennial grasses

Front 112

abbot (n)

Back 112

the superior of an abbey of monks

Front 113

neophyte (n)

Back 113

any new participant in some activity

Front 114

preprandial (adj)

Back 114

preceding a meal

Front 115

randy (adj)

Back 115

feeling great sexual desire

Front 116

misanthropy (n)

Back 116

hatred of mankind

Front 117

suckle (v)

Back 117

suck milk from the mother's breast

Front 118

peremptory (adj)

Back 118

offensively self-assured

Front 119

inchoate (adj)

Back 119

only partly in existence; incipient

Front 120

raze (v)

Back 120

tear down so as to make flat with the ground

Front 121

priapic (adj)

Back 121

overly concerned with masculinity and male sexuality

Front 122

prosody (n)

Back 122

the patterns of stress and intonation in a language;inflection;poetic rhythm

Front 123

strident (adj)

Back 123

conspicuously and offensively loud

Front 124

shrill (adj)

Back 124

high-pitched and sharp

Front 125

plait (n)

Back 125

a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair

Front 126

crass (adj)

Back 126

(of persons) so unrefined as to be lacking in discrimination and sensibility

Front 127

crestfallen (adj)

Back 127

brought low in spirit

Front 128

brigand (n)

Back 128

an armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band

Front 129

mound (n)

Back 129

a small natural hill [syn: knoll, hillock, hummock, hammock]

Front 130

besotted (adj)

Back 130

very drunk [syn: blind drunk, blotto, crocked, cockeyed,
fuddled, loaded, pie-eyed, pissed, pixilated,
plastered, potty, slopped, sloshed, smashed,
soaked, soused, sozzled, squiffy, stiff, tiddly,
tiddley, tight, tipsy, wet]

Front 131

wholesome (adj)

Back 131

conducive to or characteristic of physical or moral
well-being

Front 132

nettle (v)

Back 132

cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor
irritations

Front 133

nettle (n)

Back 133

any of numerous plants having stinging hairs that cause skin
irritation on contact (especially of the genus Urtica or
family Urticaceae)

Front 134

presently (adv)

Back 134

in the near future

Front 135

cask (n)

Back 135

a cylindrical container that holds liquids [syn: barrel]

Front 136

straggler (n)

Back 136

someone who strays or falls behind [syn: strayer]

Front 137

dreary (adj)

Back 137

depressing in character or appearance

Front 138

imp (n)

Back 138

1: (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous [syn: elf,
hob, gremlin, pixie, pixy, brownie]
2: one who is playfully mischievous [syn: scamp, monkey, rascal,
rapscallion, scalawag, scallywag]

Front 139

chandler (n)

Back 139

a retail dealer in provisions and supplies

Front 140

saddler (n)

Back 140

a maker and repairer and seller of equipment for horses

Front 141

shroud (v)

Back 141

cover as if with a shroud

Front 142

shroud (n)

Back 142

burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped [syn: pall, cerement,
winding-sheet, winding-clothes]

Front 143

betwixt (adv)

Back 143

in the interval; [syn: between]

Front 144

linchpin (n)

Back 144

a central cohesive source of support and stability [syn: anchor, mainstay, keystone, backbone, lynchpin]

Front 145

beseech (v)

Back 145

ask for or request earnestly [syn: bid, entreat, adjure, press,
conjure]

Front 146

indenture (n)

Back 146

a concave cut into a surface or edge

Front 147

dejected (adj)

Back 147

affected or marked by low spirits; [ant: elated]

Front 148

parlor (n)

Back 148

reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be
received [living-room] [sitting room] [front room]

Front 149

tidings (n)

Back 149

new information about specific and timely events;[syn: news, intelligence,
word]

Front 150

prevaricate (v)

Back 150

be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or
withhold information [syn: beat around the bush, equivocate,
tergiversate, palter]

Front 151

tomcat (n)

Back 151

male cat [syn: tom]

Front 152

wicket gate (n)

Back 152

small gate or door (especially one that is part of a larger
door) [syn: wicket, wicket door]

Front 153

disgorge (v)

Back 153

cause or allow (a solid substance) to flow or run out or
over; [syn: spill,
shed]

Front 154

prowl (v)

Back 154

move about in or as if in a predatory manner;

Front 155

musty (adj)

Back 155

covered with or smelling of mold; "moldy bread"; "a moldy
(or musty) odor" [syn: moldy, mouldy]

Front 156

hankering (n)

Back 156

a yearning for something or to do something [syn: yen]

Front 157

busker (n)

Back 157

a person who entertains people for money in public places
(as by singing or dancing)

Front 158

buxom (adj)

Back 158

1: (of a woman's body) having a large bosom and pleasing
curves; [syn: bosomy,
busty, curvaceous, curvy, full-bosomed, sonsie,
sonsy, voluptuous, well-endowed]
2: euphemisms for slightly fat

Front 159

turnkey (n)

Back 159

someone who guards prisoners [syn: prison guard, jailer,
jailor, gaoler, screw]

Front 160

staid (adj)

Back 160

characterized by dignity and propriety [syn: sedate]

Front 161

livery (n)

Back 161

the care (feeding and stabling) of horses for pay

Front 162

sconce (n)

Back 162

1: a candlestick with a flat side to be hung on the wall
2: a forbidding stronghold [syn: redoubt]

Front 163

forbidding (adj)

Back 163

harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance; [syn: dour, grim]

Front 164

stronghold (n)

Back 164

a strongly fortified defensive structure [syn: fastness]

Front 165

fastness (n)

Back 165

1: a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens; "the
project advanced with gratifying speed" [syn: speed, swiftness]
2: the quality of being fixed in place [syn: fixedness, fixity,
fixture, secureness]
3: a strongly fortified defensive structure [syn: stronghold]