English Vocab (2/1/08)

Front 1

Abstract

Back 1

adj. thought of apart from concrete realities, specific objects, or actual instances

Front 2

Abut

Back 2

v. to be adjacent; touch or join at the edge or border (often fol. by on, upon, or against): This piece of land abuts on a street.

Front 3

Accrue

Back 3

v. to happen or result as a natural growth, addition, etc.

Front 4

Avarice

Back 4

n. insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth

Front 5

Blanch

Back 5

v. to whiten by removing color; bleach

Front 6

Blasé

Back 6

adj. indifferent to or bored with life; unimpressed, as or as if from an excess of worldly pleasures

Front 7

Categorial

Back 7

adj. of or relating to the concept of categories

Front 8

Celerity

Back 8

n. swiftness; speed

Front 9

Censorious

Back 9

adj. severely critical; faultfinding; carping

Front 10

Decry

Back 10

v. to speak disparagingly of; denounce as faulty or worthless; express censure of

Front 11

Defile

Back 11

v. to make foul, dirty, or unclean; pollute; taint; debase

Front 12

Degrade

Back 12

v. to lower in dignity or estimation; bring into contempt

Front 13

Eminent

Back 13

adj. high in station, rank, or repute; prominent; distinguished

Front 14

Empirical

Back 14

adj. derived from or guided by experience or experiment

Front 15

Execrable

Back 15

adj. utterly detestable; abominable; abhorrent

Front 16

Expedite

Back 16

v. to speed up the progress of; hasten

Front 17

Frenetic

Back 17

adj. frantic; frenzied

Front 18

Fulcrum

Back 18

n. the support, or point of rest, on which a lever turns in moving a body

Front 19

Glimmer

Back 19

n. a faint or unsteady light; gleam

Front 20

Impart

Back 20

v. to give; bestow; communicate

Front 21

Incoherent

Back 21

adj. without logical or meaningful connection; disjointed; rambling

Front 22

Graduated

Back 22

adj. characterized by or arranged in degrees, esp. successively, as according to height, depth, or difficulty

Front 23

Grate

Back 23

n. a framework of parallel or crossed bars, used as a partition, guard, cover, or the like; grating

-or-

v. to irritate or annoy

Front 24

Inconsequential

Back 24

adj. of little or no importance; insignificant; trivial

Front 25

Grimace

Back 25

n. a facial expression, often ugly or contorted, that indicates disapproval, pain, etc.

Front 26

Intermittent

Back 26

adj. stopping or ceasing for a time; alternately ceasing and beginning again

Front 27

Intervene

Back 27

v. to come between disputing people, groups, etc.; intercede; mediate

Front 28

Intransigence

Back 28

adj. refusing to agree or compromise; uncompromising; inflexible

Front 29

Jollity

Back 29

n. jolly or merry mood, condition, or activity; gaiety

Front 30

Junta

Back 30

n. a small group ruling a country, esp. immediately after a coup d'état and before a legally constituted government has been instituted

Front 31

Knave

Back 31

n. an unprincipled, untrustworthy, or dishonest person

Front 32

Largess

Back 32

n. generous bestowal of gifts

Front 33

Laud

Back 33

v. to praise; extol

Front 34

Matriculate

Back 34

v. to admit or be admitted into a group, especially a college or university

Front 35

Mellifluous

Back 35

adj. sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding

Front 36

Moribund

Back 36

adj. in a dying state; near death; on the verge of extinction or termination

-or-

adj. not progressing or advancing; stagnant

Front 37

Mottled

Back 37

adj. spotted or blotched in coloring

Front 38

Negligible

Back 38

adj. so small, trifling, or unimportant that it may safely be neglected or disregarded

Front 39

Neophyte

Back 39

n. a beginner or novice

Front 40

Plausible

Back 40

adj. having an appearance of truth or reason; seemingly worthy of approval or acceptance; credible; believable

Front 41

Plight

Back 41

n. a condition, state, or situation, esp. an unfavorable or unfortunate one

Front 42

Precept

Back 42

n. a commandment or direction given as a rule of action or conduct

Front 43

Renege

Back 43

v. to go back on one's word

Front 44

Reparation

Back 44

n. the making of amends for wrong or injury done: reparation for an injustice

Front 45

Repel

Back 45

v. to drive or force back

Front 46

Revert

Back 46

v. to return to a former habit, practice, belief, condition, etc.

Front 47

Revoke

Back 47

v. to take back or withdraw; annul, cancel, or reverse; rescind or repeal

Front 48

Rhetorical

Back 48

adj. used for, belonging to, or concerned with mere style or effect

Front 49

Stalwart

Back 49

adj. strongly and stoutly built; sturdy and robust