English Vocab Iv

Front 1

cock-a-hoop

Back 1

adj.
1. Being in a state of boastful elation or exultation.
After their superbowl victory, the cock-a-hoop players declared themselves the best football team of all time.

2. Being askew (twisted to one side; awry).

Hint 1

1. He was cock-a-hoop over his victory.

2. He knocked his hat cock-a-hoop.

Front 2

erstwhile

Back 2

adv. In the past; at a former time; formerly

Front 3

fait accompli

Back 3

n. An accomplished, presumably irreversible deed or fact.

Front 4

embattled

Back 4

adj.
1. Prepared or fortified for battle or engaged in battle:
embattled troops;
an embattled city.

2. Beset with attackers, criticism, or controversy:
an embattled legislative minority.

Front 5

esoteric

Back 5

adj.
1. Intended for or understood by only a small/particular group: an esoteric cult; esoteric interests.

2. Not publicly disclosed; confidential.

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amble

Back 6

v.
1. To walk slowly or leisurely; stroll

2. Of a horse: to move along at an easy gait by using both legs on one side alternately with both on the other.

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prim

Back 7

adj.
1. Precise or proper to the point of affectation; excessively decorous; strait-laced; stiffly neat; prudish()

2. Neat and trim: a prim hedgerow.

Hint 7

prudish: adj: excessively proper or modest in speech, conduct, dress, etc.

Front 8

encomium

Back 8

n.
Warm, glowing praise, esp. a formal expression of praise; a tribute.

Front 9

countenance

Back 9

n.
1.The face or facial features, especially the expression of the face:
The question left him with a puzzled countenance.

2. A look or expression indicative of encouragement or of moral support or approval.

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winsome

Back 10

adj. Charming, often in a childlike or naive way.

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modish

Back 11

adj. Being in or conforming to the prevailing or current fashion; stylish; fashionable.

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voil

Back 12

n. A light, sheer fabric

plain-weave; made of cotton, rayon, silk, or wool used especially for making dresses and curtains.

Front 13

blousy

blouzy

Back 13

adj.
1. Having a coarse, ruddy () complexion.

2. Disheveled, untidy
frowzy ()
unkempt()
blowzy hair

Hint 13

ruddy: having a healthy, reddish color

frowzy: untidy in dress or appearance

unkempt: disorderly or untidy

Front 14

ectoplasm

Back 14

n.
1. Biology. The outer portion of the continuous phase of cytoplasm of a cell, sometimes distinguishable as a somewhat rigid, gelled layer beneath the cell membrane.

2. The visible substance believed to emanate from the body of a spiritualistic medium during communication with the dead.

3. An immaterial or ethereal substance, especially the transparent corporeal presence of a spirit or ghost.

Front 15

ineffable

Back 15

adj.
1. Incapable of being expressed; indescribable or unutterable; unspeakable.

2. Not to be uttered; taboo: the ineffable name of God.

Front 16

risible

Back 16

adj.
Capable of, inclined to, relating to or eliciting laughter; ludicrous().

Hint 16

ludicrous: adj.
causing or deserving laughter or derision because of absurdity; ridiculous; laughable:
a ludicrous lack of efficiency

Front 17

inconoclast

Back 17

n.
1. One who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions.

2. One who destroys sacred religious images.

Front 18

sartorial

Back 18

adj. Of or relating to a tailor, tailoring, or tailored clothing: sartorial elegance.

Front 19

neigh

(nay)

Back 19

v. The long, high-pitched sound made by a horse.

Front 20

wit

Back 20

n.
1. The natural ability to perceive and understand; intelligence.

2. "wits" Sound mental faculties; sanity: scared out of my wits; living by one's wits.

3. The ability to perceive and express in an ingeniously humorous manner the relationship between seemingly incongruous or disparate things.

4. A person of exceptional intelligence

Front 21

plutocracy

Back 21

n.
1. A government or state in which the wealthy rule.

2. A wealthy class that controls a government.

Front 22

burlesque

Back 22

n.
1. A literary or dramatic work that ridicules a subject either by presenting a solemn subject in an undignified style or an inconsequential subject in a dignified style. See Synonyms at caricature.

2.A ludicrous or mocking imitation; a travesty:
The antics of the defense attorneys turned the trial into a burlesque of justice.

3. A variety show characterized by broad ribald (vulgar, lewd humor) comedy, dancing, and striptease.

Front 23

predilection

Back 23

n.
A partiality or disposition in favor of something; a preference

Front 24

predicament

Back 24

n.
1. A situation, especially an unpleasant, troublesome, or trying one, from which extrication is difficult; a dilemma.

2. Logic. An Aristotealion category:

Front 25

cipher

cypher

Back 25

n.
1. The mathematical symbol (0) denoting absence of quantity; zero.

2. An Arabic numeral or figure; a number.

3. One having no influence or value; a nonentity.

4. A cryptographic system in which units of plain text of regular length, usually letters, are arbitrarily transposed or substituted according to a predetermined code;

The key to such a system;

A message written or transmitted in such a system.

5. A design combining or interweaving letters or initials; a monogram.

Front 26

rumple

Back 26

v. To wrinkle, fold, or crease

Front 27

tinkle

Back 27

v. To make light metallic sounds, as those of a small bell.

Front 28

obdurate

Back 28

adj.
1. Hardened in wrongdoing or wickedness; stubbornly impenitent:
“obdurate conscience of the old sinner” (Sir Walter Scott).

2. Hardened against feeling; hardhearted:
an obdurate miser.

3. Hardened to persuasion; intractable(); inflexible.

Hint 28

intractable: adj (1 of 3)
not easily controlled or directed; not docile or manageable; stubborn; obstinate: an intractable disposition.

Front 29

granitic

Back 29

adj
1: hard as granite;
"a granitic fist"
[syn: granitelike, rocklike, stony]

2: having austere inflexibility;
"a flinty manner";
"granitic morality";
"his unyielding mouth and glassy eyes"- Marchette Chute
[syn: flinty, unyielding]

Front 30

peevish

Back 30

adj.
1. querulous (), cross(), or fretful(), vexed or unhapppy:
a peevish youngster.

2. showing annoyance, irritation, or bad mood:
a peevish reply
a peevish frown.

3. Contrary/Perverse(); fractious(), obstinate()

Hint 30

1. querulous: adj.
habitually complaining; whiny

cross: adj.
angry and annoyed; ill-humored; snappish:
Don't be cross with me.

fret: adj.
disposed or quick to fret; irritable or irascible

nettlesome, peckish, pettish, petulant, testy, tetchy, techy


3. Contrary, Perverse (1 of 5): adj.
[willfully determined or disposed to] going counter to what is expected or desired.
a contrarian manager

Fractious: adj.
1. cranky, peckish
2. unruly, refractory ()

obstinate: adj.
Difficult to manage, control, or subdue; refractory()

refractory: adj. (1 of 4)
hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient:
a refractory child.

Front 31

chasten

Back 31

v.
1. to inflict suffering upon for purposes of moral improvement; chastise; To correct by punishment or reproof; take to task.

2. To restrain; subdue:
chasten a proud spirit.

3. To rid of excess; refine or purify:
chasten a careless writing style.

Front 32

stoney

stony

Back 32

adj.
1. Covered with or full of stones:
a stony beach.

2. Resembling stone, as in hardness; granitic
a stoney titantium alloy

3. Hardhearted; flinty; impassive(); unemotional; exhibiting no feeling or warmth
a stony miser

4. Emotionally numbing or paralyzing:
stony fear

Hint 32

impassive (1 of 4 definitions)
adj
without emotion; apathetic; unmoved

Front 33

chastise

Back 33

verb.
1. To punish, as by beating (corporal punishment).

2. To criticize severely; rebuke.

Front 34

askew

Back 34

adj.
To one side; awry;
cockeyed; lopsided

rugs lying askew

Front 35

ribald

Back 35

adj.

scurrilous()


coarsely or disrespectfully humorous; vulgar or indecent in speech;
coarsely mocking, abusive, or irreverent;

Hint 35

scurrilous adj
1. grossly or obscenely abusive:
a scurrilous attack on the mayor.

2.coarsely jocular or derisive:
a scurrilous jest

Front 36

lewd

Back 36

adj.
1. Preoccupied with sex and sexual desire; lustful.

2. Obscene; indecent

Front 37

querulous

Back 37

adj : habitually complaining;
"a whining child"
[syn: fretful, whiney, whining(a), whiny]

Front 38

ruddy

Back 38

adj.
1. Having a healthy, reddish color.

2. Reddish; rosy.

Front 39

beset

Back 39

v.
1. To attack from all sides.

2. To hem in; surround:
“the mountains which beset it round” (Nathaniel Hawthorne).

3.To trouble persistently; harass.

4. To stud, as with jewels

Front 40

decorous

Back 40

adj.
Characterized by or exhibiting decorum (); proper:

decorous behavior.

Hint 40

decorum: dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

Front 41

prude

Back 41

n.
person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum [syn: puritan]

Front 42

slovenly

Back 42

adj.
1. untidy or unclean in appearance or habits.

2. Marked by negligence; slipshod(); sloppy.
slovenly work

Hint 42

slipshod: adj
careless, untidy:
slipshod work

Front 43

unkempt

Back 43

adj.
1. Not combed:
unkempt hair.

2. Not properly maintained; disorderly or untidy: sloppy
an unkempt garden

3. Unpolished; rude.
unkempt red-neck

Front 44

musty

Back 44

adj.
1. Stale or moldy in odor or taste.
musty pantry

2. Hackneyed or trite(); dull.
with so many people climbing Mount Everest, it's become musty

3. Out of date; antiquated.
the musty, ten year old computer

4. Out of use or practice; rusty.
after taking six months to heal an injury, the dancer was musty

Hint 44

2. trite: lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant use or excessive repetition;

Front 45

impassive

Back 45

adj.
1. Devoid of or not subject to emotion; emotionless; apathetic; unmoved, phlegmatic(), stoical(), indifferent

2. calm; serene.
tranquil, unruffled, composed, undisturbed, unperturbed

3. Revealing no emotion; expressionless.

4. Motionless; still.

Hint 45

phlegmantic: adjective
1. not easily excited to action or display of emotion; apathetic; sluggish.

2. self-possessed, calm, or composed.

stoical: adjective
characterized by a calm, austere fortitude befitting the Stoics:
a stoical sufferer.

Front 46

fractious

Back 46

adj.
1. Inclined to make trouble; unruly()

2. Having a peevish nature; cranky, irascible

Hint 46

unruly: adj.
not submissive or conforming to rule; ungovernable; turbulent; intractable; refractory; lawless:
an unruly class;
an unruly wilderness.

Front 47

intractable

Back 47

adj.
1.Difficult to manage or govern; stubborn; obstinate(); unruly.
intractable populace

2. Difficult to mold or manipulate:
intractable metal

3. Difficult to alleviate, remedy, or cure:
intractable pain.

Hint 47

obstinate: adj.
1. characterized by inflexible persistence or an unyielding attitude; unmoved by argument, persuasion, or entreaty;

2. not easily treated, controlled or overcome:
the obstinate growth of weeds.
an obstinate disease.

Front 48

caricature

Back 48

n.
1. A representation, especially pictorial or literary, in which the subject's distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque() effect.

2. The art of creating such representations.

3. A grotesque() imitation or misrepresentation:
The trial was a caricature of justice.

Hint 48

grotesque: adj. (1 of 2)
odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character; fantastically ugly or absurd; bizarre.

Front 49

antic

Back 49

n.
A ludicrous() or extravagant() act; a caper ()

Hint 49

ludicrous, –adjective
causing laughter because of absurdity; provoking or deserving derision; ridiculous; laughable:
a ludicrous lack of efficiency.

extravagant: adj. (1 of 4)
going beyond what is deserved or justifiable:
extravagant praise.

caper: noun
1. a playful leap or skip.
2. a frivolous escapade() or prank
3. Slang. a criminal act, esp. a burglary or robbery.

escapade: noun
1. a reckless adventure or wild prank.
2. an escape from confinement or restraint.

Front 50

caper

Back 50

n.
1. A playful leap or hop.

2. A reckless adventure or wild prank (escapade)

3. Slang. An illegal plot or enterprise, especially one involving theft.

Front 51

awry

Back 51

adv.
1. In a position that is turned or twisted toward one side; askew.

2. Away from the correct course; amiss.

Front 52

slipshod

Back 52

adj.

Marked by carelessness; sloppy or slovenly in appearance;

shabby/seedy (run-down, dilapidated)

Front 53

trite

Back 53

adj.
Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed.

Front 54

churl

Back 54

noun
1. a rude, boorish, or surly person.

2. a peasant; rustic()

3. niggard; miser:
He was a churl in his affections.

Hint 54

rustic: adj.

1. Of, relating to, or typical of country life or country people; rural.
rustic small town folk

2. Charmingly simple or unsophisticated
a rustic child

3. uncouth, rude, or boorish; Lacking refinement or elegance; coarse.
rustic, drunk red-neck

4. Made of unfinished or roughly finished wood:
rustic furniture.

5. Having a rough or textured appearance; rusticated. Used of masonry.
rustic facade