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30 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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bolster
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support; reinforce;
The debaters amassed file boxes full of evidence to bolster their arguments. amass: if you amass money, knowledge, information etc, you gradually collect a large amount of it Ex. For 25 years, Darwin amassed evidence to support his theories. |
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inclusive
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tending to include all
The comedian turned down the invitation to join the Player's Club, saying any club that would let him in was too inclusive for him. |
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revile
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slander; vilify;
He was avoided by all who feared that he would revile and abuse them if they displeased him. |
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cataract
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great waterfall; eye abnormality;
She gazed with awe at the mighty cataract known as Niagara Falls. mighty: very strong and powerful, or very big and impressive Ex. the mighty Mississippi river a mighty army |
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iconoclastic
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attacking cherished traditions
George Bernard Shaw's iconoclastic plays often startled more conventional people. startle: to make someone suddenly surprised or slightly shocked Ex. Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. |
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moodiness
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fits of depression or gloom
We could not discover the cause of her recurrent moodiness. |
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receptive
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quick or willing to receive ideas; suggestions; etc
Adventure-loving Huck Finn proved a receptive audience for Tom's tales of buried treasure and piracy. piracy: 1- the crime of illegally copying and selling books, tapes, etc 2- the crime of attacking and stealing from ships at sea |
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vestige
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trace; remains;
We discovered vestiges of early Indian life in the cave. |
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embed
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enclose; place in something;
Tales of actual historical figures like King Alfred have become embedded in legends. |
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nirvana
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Buddihist teachings; the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an impersonal beatitude;
Despite his desire to achieve nirvana, the young Buddhist found that even the buzzing of a fly could distract him from his meditation. |
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asymmetric
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not identical on both sides of a dividing central line
Because one eyebrow was set markedly higher than the other, William's face had a particularly asymmetric appearance. marked:noticeable Ex. a marked lack of enthusiasm |
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debilitate
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weaken; enfeeble;
Overindulgence debilitates character as well as physical stamina. overindulge: to eat or drink too much Ex. It's hard not to overindulge at Christmas. enfeebled:very weak or ill |
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foible
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weakness; slight fault;
We can overlook the foibles of our friends; no one is perfect. |
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incisive
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cutting; sharp;
His incisive remarks made us see the fallacy in our plans. fallacy : misconception Ex. It's a common fallacy that a neutered dog will become fat and lazy. |
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retrospective
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looking back on the past
It is only when we become retrospective that we can appreciate the tremendous advances made during this century.; a retrospective study of 110 patients |
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casual
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happening by chance; irregular; occasional; informal; showing or feeling little interest;
It can be argued that physical laws can be casual as well as inveterate, since it is based on an induction. |
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projectile
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missile
Man has always hurled projectiles at his enemy whether in the form of stones or of highly explosive shells. |
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subjugate
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conquer; bring under control;
It is not our aim to subjugate our foe; we are interested only in establishing peaceful relations. |
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ablution
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washing
His daily ablutions were accompanied by loud noises that he humorously labeled %22Opera in the Bath. |
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vernal
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pertaining to spring
We may expect vernal showers all during the month of April. |
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emaciated
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thin and wasted
His long period of starvation had left him emaciated. |
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nib
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beak; pen point;
The nibs of fountain pens often become clotted and corroded. |
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exigency
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urgent situation
In this exigency, we must look for aid from our allies. |
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infernal
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pertaining to hell; devilish;
They could think of no way to hinder his infernal scheme. |
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orifice
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mouthlike opening; small opening;
The Howe Caverns were discovered when someone observed that a cold wind was issuing from an orifice in the hillside. |
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incessant
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uninterrupted
The crickets kept up an incessant chirping that disturbed our attempts to fall asleep. |
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retrench
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cut down; economize;
If they were to be able to send their children to college, they would have to retrench. |
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carrion
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rotting flesh of a dead body
Buzzards are nature's scavengers; they eat the carrion left behind by other predators. |
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wither
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shrivel; decay ;
Cut flowers are beautiful for a day, but all too soon they wither. |
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hirsute
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hairy
He was a hitsute individual with a heavy black beard. |
