Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
370 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
|
aver
|
to declare to be true, affirm
|
|
|
|
belfry
|
bell tower, room in which a bell is hung
|
|
|
|
bemuse
|
to confuse, stupefy; to plunge deep into thought DOES NOT MEAN TO AMUSE
|
|
|
|
benison
|
blessing
|
|
|
|
bespatter
|
to spatter
|
|
|
|
betoken
|
to indicate, signify, give evidence of
|
|
|
|
bevy
|
group
|
|
|
|
bilious
|
bad-natured
|
|
|
|
bilk
|
to cheat
|
|
|
|
billet
|
board and lodging for troops
|
|
|
|
blandish
|
to coax with flattery
|
|
|
|
bonanza
|
extremely large amount; something profitable
|
|
|
|
brigand
|
bandit, outlaw
|
|
|
|
bromide
|
a dull, commonplace person or idea
|
|
|
|
buffet
|
to strike, hit
|
|
|
|
byway
|
back or side road
|
|
|
|
cabal
|
a secret group seeking to overturn something
|
|
|
|
callow
|
immature, lacking sophistication
|
|
|
|
calumny
|
false and malicious accusation, misrepresentation, slander
|
|
|
|
canard
|
a lie
|
|
|
|
carom
|
to strike and rebound
|
|
|
|
categorical
|
absolute, without exception
|
|
|
|
catholic
|
universal; broad and comprehensive
|
|
|
|
caulk
|
to make water-tight
|
|
|
|
cavalcade
|
a procession
|
|
|
|
cavil
|
to raise trivial objections
|
|
|
|
centripetal
|
directed or moving toward the center
|
|
|
|
champ
|
to chew noisily
|
|
|
|
chattel
|
piece of personal property
|
|
|
|
cheeky
|
lacking prudence or discretion
|
|
|
|
choleric
|
easily angered, short-tempered
|
|
|
|
cleave
|
to split or separate; to stick, to cling
|
|
|
|
clement
|
mild
|
|
|
|
cognomen
|
family name; any name, especially a nickname
|
|
|
|
collate
|
to arrange in an order
|
|
|
|
compendious
|
summarizing completely and briefly
|
|
|
|
compunctious
|
feeling guilty or having misgivings
|
|
|
|
compunction
|
feeling of uneasiness cause by guilt or regret
|
|
|
|
concomitant
|
accompanying something
|
|
|
|
congenial
|
similar in tastes and habits
|
|
|
|
consanguineous
|
of the same origin; related by blood
|
|
|
|
continence
|
self-control, self restraint
|
|
|
|
contravene
|
to contradict, deny, act contrary to
|
|
|
|
convalescence
|
gradual recovery after an illness
|
|
|
|
convoke
|
to call together, summon
|
|
|
|
coquette
|
woman who flirts
|
|
|
|
cosset
|
to pamper, treat with great care
|
|
|
|
countervail
|
to counteract, to exert force against
|
|
|
|
coven
|
group of witches
|
|
|
|
cupidity
|
greed
|
|
|
|
cygnet
|
young swan
|
|
|
|
dally
|
to act playfully or waste time
|
|
|
|
decamp
|
to leave suddenly
|
|
|
|
deciduous
|
losing leaves in the fall; short-lived, temporary
|
|
|
|
declivity
|
downward slope
|
|
|
|
decry
|
to belittle, openly condemn, deprecate
|
|
|
|
demur
|
to express doubts or objections
|
|
|
|
deprecate
|
to belittle, disparage
|
|
|
|
derogate
|
to belittle, disparage
|
|
|
|
descry
|
to discover or reveal
|
|
|
|
diaphanous
|
allowing light to show through; delicate
|
|
|
|
dictum
|
authoritative statement; popular saying
|
|
|
|
disabuse
|
to free from a misconception
|
|
|
|
discursive
|
wandering from one topic to another
|
|
|
|
disingenuous
|
sly and crafty (ingeuous means naive)
|
|
|
|
disparate
|
dissimilar, different in kind
|
|
|
|
dissimulate
|
to disguise, put on a false appearance
|
|
|
|
distaff
|
the female branch of a family
|
|
|
|
dither
|
to move or act confusedly or without clear purpose
|
|
|
|
diurnal
|
daily
|
|
|
|
dogged
|
stubborn
|
|
|
|
doldrums
|
a period of despondency
|
|
|
|
dotage
|
senile condition, mental decline
|
|
|
|
dotard
|
senile old person
|
|
|
|
doughty
|
courageous
|
|
|
|
dour
|
sullen and gloomy; stern and severe
|
|
|
|
droll
|
amusing in a wry, subtle way
|
|
|
|
dross
|
waste produced during metal smelting; garbage
|
|
|
|
dudgeon
|
angry indignation
|
|
|
|
dulcet
|
pleasant sounding, soothing to the ear, mellifluous
|
|
|
|
dyspeptic
|
suffering from indigestion; gloomy and irritable
|
|
|
|
effigy
|
stuffed doll; likeness of a person
|
|
|
|
effluvia
|
outpouring of gases or vapors
|
|
|
|
effulgent
|
brilliantly shining
|
|
|
|
emend
|
to correct a text
|
|
|
|
emollient
|
having soothing qualities, esp. for skin
|
|
|
|
encipher
|
to translate a message into code (opposite of decipher)
|
|
|
|
endogamous
|
marrying within a specific group due to law or custom
|
|
|
|
entomologist
|
scientist who studies insects
|
|
|
|
entreat
|
to plead; beg
|
|
|
|
epigram
|
short witty saying or poem
|
|
|
|
epigraph
|
quotation at the beginning of a literary work
|
|
|
|
equanimity
|
calmness, composure
|
|
|
|
escheat
|
property
|
|
|
|
esurient
|
hungry, greedy
|
|
|
|
eurythmics
|
art of dancing
|
|
|
|
evince
|
to show clearly, display, signify
|
|
|
|
excoriate
|
to denounce
|
|
|
|
exculpate
|
to clear of blame or fault
|
|
|
|
exhort
|
to urge or incite by strong appeals
|
|
|
|
expatiate
|
to wander; to discuss or describe at length
|
|
|
|
expiate
|
to atone for, make amends for
|
|
|
|
expurgate
|
to censor
|
|
|
|
extemporaneous
|
unrehearsed, on the spur of the moment
|
|
|
|
extenuate
|
to lessen the seriousness, strength, or effect of
|
|
|
|
extrinsic
|
not inherent or essential, coming from without
|
|
|
|
fallow
|
uncultivated, unused
|
|
|
|
fatuous
|
stupid; smugly foolish; unconsciously foolish
|
|
|
|
fealty
|
intense loyalty
|
|
|
|
felicitous
|
suitable, appropriate; well spoken
|
|
|
|
fey
|
doomed
|
|
|
|
filch
|
to steal
|
|
|
|
filial
|
appropriate for a child
|
|
|
|
fitful
|
intermittent, irregular
|
|
|
|
flurried
|
agitated and confused
|
|
|
|
foist
|
to pass off as genuine
|
|
|
|
foliate
|
to grow, sprout leaves
|
|
|
|
forbearance
|
patience, restraint, leniency
|
|
|
|
forensic
|
relating to legal proceedings; relating to debates
|
|
|
|
forfend
|
to prevent
|
|
|
|
fulsome
|
excessive, overdone, sickeningly abundant
|
|
|
|
gambol
|
to dance or skip around playfully
|
|
|
|
gibe
|
to make heckling, taunting remarks
|
|
|
|
gnostic
|
having to do with knowledge
|
|
|
|
hackneyed
|
worn out by over-use
|
|
|
|
hardy
|
robust, vigorous
|
|
|
|
headlong
|
recklessly
|
|
|
|
hegemony
|
leadership, domination, usually by a country
|
|
|
|
hemicycle
|
semicircular form or structure
|
|
|
|
heterodox
|
unorthodox, not widely accepted
|
|
|
|
hew
|
to cut with an ax
|
|
|
|
hidebound
|
excessively rigid; dry and stiff
|
|
|
|
hinterland
|
wilderness
|
|
|
|
hoary
|
very old; whitish or gray from age
|
|
|
|
idiosyncrasy
|
peculiarity of temperament, eccentricity
|
|
|
|
ignominious
|
disgraceful and dishonorable
|
|
|
|
immure
|
to imprison
|
|
|
|
impecunious
|
poor, having no money
|
|
|
|
impious
|
not devout in religion (im-pious)
|
|
|
|
impolitic
|
unwise
|
|
|
|
imprecation
|
a curse
|
|
|
|
improvident
|
without planning or foresight, negligent
|
|
|
|
incarnadine
|
blood-red in color
|
|
|
|
incontrovertible
|
unquestionable, beyond controversy
|
|
|
|
inculpate
|
to blame; charge with a crime
|
|
|
|
indelible
|
permanent, not erasable
|
|
|
|
indigent
|
very poor
|
|
|
|
inexorable
|
inflexible, unyielding
|
|
|
|
ingenuous
|
straightforward, open; naive and unsophisticated
|
|
|
|
ingress
|
entrance
|
|
|
|
inimical
|
hostile, unfriendly
|
|
|
|
insentient
|
unfeeling, unconscious
|
|
|
|
insuperable
|
insurmountable, unconquerable
|
|
|
|
inter
|
to bury
|
|
|
|
internecine
|
deadly to both sides
|
|
|
|
interpolate
|
to insert; change by adding new words or material
|
|
|
|
intramural
|
within an institution like a school
|
|
|
|
intransigent
|
uncompromising, refusing to be reconciled
|
|
|
|
inveigh
|
to protest strongly
|
|
|
|
investiture
|
ceremony conferring authority
|
|
|
|
inveterate
|
confirmed, long-standing, deeply rooted
|
|
|
|
invidious
|
likely to provoke ill will, offensive
|
|
|
|
jangling
|
clashing, jarring; harshly unpleasant (in sound)
|
|
|
|
jibe
|
to shift suddenly from one side to the other (jibe to evade jabs)
|
|
|
|
jingoism
|
belligerent support of one's country; fierce nationalism
|
|
|
|
jubilee
|
special anniversary
|
|
|
|
judicious
|
sensible; showing good judgment
|
|
|
|
jurisprudence
|
philosophy of law
|
|
|
|
kismet
|
fate
|
|
|
|
knell
|
sound of a funeral bell; omen of death or failure
|
|
|
|
lambaste
|
to disapprove angrily
|
|
|
|
languid, languor
|
listlessness; lacking energy, indifferent
|
|
|
|
lapidary
|
relating to precious stones
|
|
|
|
larder
|
place where food is stored
|
|
|
|
lassitude
|
lethargy, sluggishness
|
|
|
|
legerdemain
|
trickery
|
|
|
|
libertine
|
one without moral restraint
|
|
|
|
licentious
|
immoral; unrestrained by society
|
|
|
|
limpid
|
clear and simple in style
|
|
|
|
liniment
|
medicinal liquid used externally to ease pain
|
|
|
|
lissome
|
easily flexed, limber, agile
|
|
|
|
low (v)
|
to make a sound like a cow, to moo
|
|
|
|
macrobiotics
|
art of prolonging life by special diet of organic non-meat substances
|
|
|
|
mainstay
|
chief support
|
|
|
|
malinger
|
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
|
|
|
|
manifold
|
diverse, varied; comprised of many parts
|
|
|
|
manumission
|
release from slavery
|
|
|
|
mawkish
|
sickeningly sentimental
|
|
|
|
megalith
|
huge stone used in prehistoric structures
|
|
|
|
mercenary
|
adj. motivated only by greed
|
|
|
|
meretricious
|
gaudy, falsely attractive
|
|
|
|
militate
|
to operate against, work against
|
|
|
|
minatory
|
menacing, threatening
|
|
|
|
missive
|
note or letter
|
|
|
|
mordacious
|
caustic, biting
|
|
|
|
mordant
|
sarcastic
|
|
|
|
moribund
|
dying, decaying
|
|
|
|
mote
|
small particle, speck
|
|
|
|
mottle
|
to mark with spots
|
|
|
|
necromancy
|
black magic
|
|
|
|
neologism
|
a new word or expression
|
|
|
|
neonate
|
newborn child
|
|
|
|
niggardly
|
stingy
|
|
|
|
niggling
|
trifling, petty
|
|
|
|
novitiate
|
period of being a beginner or a novice
|
|
|
|
numismatics
|
coin collecting
|
|
|
|
obeisance
|
a show of respect or submission
|
|
|
|
objurgate
|
to scold
|
|
|
|
obloquy
|
abusive language; ill repute
|
|
|
|
obsequy
|
funeral ceremony
|
|
|
|
obstreperous
|
troublesome, boisterous, unruly
|
|
|
|
onerous
|
burdensome
|
|
|
|
opalescent
|
iridescent, displaying colors
|
|
|
|
opprobrious
|
disgraceful, contemptuous
|
|
|
|
orotund
|
pompous
|
|
|
|
ostensible
|
apparent
|
|
|
|
overweening
|
arrogant
|
|
|
|
paean
|
a song of praise or thanksgiving
|
|
|
|
palaver
|
idle talk
|
|
|
|
palisade
|
fence made up of stakes
|
|
|
|
pall
|
n. covering that darkens or obscures; coffin
v. to lose strength or interest |
|
|
|
panegyric
|
elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise
|
|
|
|
panoply
|
impressive array
|
|
|
|
parsimony
|
stinginess
|
|
|
|
pastiche
|
piece of literature or music imitating other works
|
|
|
|
patent (adj)
|
obvious, unconcealed
|
|
|
|
pathos
|
pity; compassion
|
|
|
|
peculation
|
theft of money or goods
|
|
|
|
pediment
|
triangular gable on a roof or facade
|
|
|
|
pellucid
|
transparent; translucent; easily understood
|
|
|
|
penumbra
|
partial shadow
|
|
|
|
penury
|
extreme poverty
|
|
|
|
peregrinate
|
to wander from place to place
|
|
|
|
peremptory
|
imperative; dictatorial
|
|
|
|
peripatetic
|
moving from place to place (like peregrinate)
|
|
|
|
perpend
|
ponder, reflect
|
|
|
|
pertinacious
|
persistent; stubborn
|
|
|
|
pettish
|
fretful
|
|
|
|
phlegm
|
coldness or indifference
|
|
|
|
phlegmatic
|
calm in temperament; sluggish
|
|
|
|
piddling
|
trivial
|
|
|
|
pillory
|
to expose to ridicule and abuse
|
|
|
|
pique
|
fleeting feeling of hurt pride (?)
|
|
|
|
plait
|
to braid
|
|
|
|
plucky
|
courageous, spunky
|
|
|
|
ply
|
to use diligently; to engage; to join together
|
|
|
|
polyglot
|
speaker of many languages
|
|
|
|
ponderous
|
weighty, heavy, large
|
|
|
|
pore
|
to study closely or meditatively
|
|
|
|
potable
|
drinkable
|
|
|
|
potentate
|
monarch or ruler with great power
|
|
|
|
precipitous
|
hasty, quickly, with too little caution
|
|
|
|
precis
|
short summary of facts
|
|
|
|
prepossessing
|
attractive, engaging, appealing
|
|
|
|
presage
|
to foretell, indicate in advance
|
|
|
|
prestidigitation
|
sleight of hand
|
|
|
|
privation
|
lack of usual necessities or comforts
|
|
|
|
profuse
|
lavish; extravagant
|
|
|
|
promulgate
|
to make known publicly
|
|
|
|
propitiate
|
to win over, appease
|
|
|
|
propitious
|
favorable, advantageous
|
|
|
|
proscribe
|
to condemn; to forbid, outlaw
|
|
|
|
prurient
|
lustful, exhibiting lewd desire
|
|
|
|
pugilism
|
boxing
|
|
|
|
pulchritude
|
beauty
|
|
|
|
purblind
|
lacking in vision or insight
|
|
|
|
pusillanimous
|
cowardly
|
|
|
|
quaff
|
to drink heartily
|
|
|
|
raconteur
|
witty, skillful storyteller
|
|
|
|
raillery
|
lighthearted jesting
|
|
|
|
rapprochement
|
having a cordial relationship
|
|
|
|
rebarbative
|
irritating; repellent
|
|
|
|
recalcitrant
|
resisting authority or control
|
|
|
|
recondite
|
relating to obscure learning; known to only a few
|
|
|
|
recreant
|
disloyal, cowardly
|
|
|
|
rectitude
|
moral uprightness
|
|
|
|
redress
|
relief from wrong or injury
|
|
|
|
refractory
|
obstinately resistant
|
|
|
|
remonstrate
|
to protest or object
|
|
|
|
remuneration
|
pay or reward for work, trouble
|
|
|
|
renitent
|
resisting pressure, obstinate
|
|
|
|
rent
|
torn apart
|
|
|
|
repast
|
meal or mealtime
|
|
|
|
repose
|
relaxation, leisure
|
|
|
|
reprobate
|
morally unprincipled person
|
|
|
|
restive
|
impatient, uneasy, restless
|
|
|
|
retinue
|
group of attendants with an important person; entourage?
|
|
|
|
revile
|
to criticize with harsh language, verbally abusive
|
|
|
|
ribald
|
humorous in a vulgar way
|
|
|
|
rococo
|
very highly ornamented
|
|
|
|
rostrum
|
stage for public speaking
|
|
|
|
salacious
|
lustful
|
|
|
|
sallow
|
sickly yellow in color (jaundice?)
|
|
|
|
sardonic
|
cynical; scornfully mocking
|
|
|
|
scabrous
|
dealing with suggestive or indecent things
|
|
|
|
scintilla
|
very small amount
|
|
|
|
scintillate
|
to sparkle, flash
|
|
|
|
scrivener
|
professional copyist
|
|
|
|
secant
|
straight line intersecting a curve at two points
|
|
|
|
senescent
|
aging, growing old
|
|
|
|
sententious
|
having a moralizing tone
|
|
|
|
seraphic
|
angelic, pure, sublime
|
|
|
|
sere
|
dried up, arid
|
|
|
|
simper
|
to smirk, smile foolishly
|
|
|
|
slipshod
|
careless, hasty
|
|
|
|
smelt
|
to melt metal in order to refine it
|
|
|
|
solecism
|
grammatical mistake
|
|
|
|
solicitous
|
concerned, attentive; eager
|
|
|
|
solstice
|
shortest OR longest day of the year
|
|
|
|
somnolent
|
dowsy, sleepy; inducing sleep
|
|
|
|
stand
|
group of trees
|
|
|
|
stasis
|
motionless state; standstill
|
|
|
|
steadfast
|
immovable
|
|
|
|
stockade
|
enclosed area forming defensive wall
|
|
|
|
stolid
|
having or showing little emotion
|
|
|
|
strident
|
loud, harsh, unpleasantly noisy
|
|
|
|
stripling
|
an adolescent boy
|
|
|
|
stultify
|
to impair or reduce to uselessness (look this one up; doesn't it mean to make someone look foolish?)
|
|
|
|
sublimate
|
to repress impulses. Self-edit.
|
If limate meant to go too far, then sub would be underneath it, or less than it. To keep yourself from limating.
|
|
|
sumptuous
|
lavish, splendid
|
|
|
|
superannuated
|
too old, obsolete, outdated
|
|
|
|
supercilious
|
arrogant, haughty, overbearing, condescending
|
|
|
|
supererogatory
|
nonessential
|
|
|
|
swarthy
|
having a dark complexion
|
|
|
|
sybarite
|
person devoted to pleasure and luxury
|
|
|
|
technocrat
|
strong believer in technology; technical expert
|
|
|
|
tenable
|
defensible, reasonable
|
|
|
|
tendentious
|
biased (look this one up)
|
|
|
|
tensile
|
capable of withstanding physical stress
|
|
|
|
thrall
|
a person in servitude, enslaved
|
|
|
|
threnody
|
a sad poem or song
|
|
|
|
timorous
|
timid, shy, full of apprehension
|
|
|
|
tome
|
book, usually large and academic
|
|
|
|
torsion
|
act of twisting and turning
|
|
|
|
tortuous
|
having many twists and turns; highly complex
|
|
|
|
trammel
|
to impede or hamper
|
|
|
|
transmute
|
to change in appearance or shape
|
|
|
|
tremulous
|
trembling, quivering; fearful, timid
|
|
|
|
trenchant
|
acute, sharp, incisive; forceful, effective
|
|
|
|
truculent
|
savage and cruel; fierce; ready to fight
|
|
|
|
turbid
|
muddled; unclear
|
|
|
|
turpitude
|
inherent vileness, foulness, depravity
|
|
|
|
tyro
|
beginner, novice
|
|
|
|
unequivocal
|
absolute, certain
|
|
|
|
unfrock
|
to strip of priestly duties
|
|
|
|
unstinting
|
generous (not stinting)
|
|
|
|
usury
|
practice of lending money at exorbitant rates
|
|
|
|
venal
|
willing to wrong for money
|
|
|
|
verisimilitude
|
quality of appearing true or real
|
|
|
|
vernal
|
relating to spring
|
|
|
|
vicissitude
|
change or variation; ups and downs
|
|
|
|
vitiate
|
reduce in value or effectiveness
|
|
|
|
vituperate
|
to abuse verbally
|
|
|
|
vociferous
|
loud, vocal and noisy
|
|
|
|
wan
|
sickly pale
|
|
|
|
waspish
|
rude, behaving badly
|
|
|
|
welter
|
a confused mass; a jumble
|
|
|
|
windfall
|
sudden, unexpected good fortune
|
|
|
|
compendium
|
brief, comprehensive summary
|
|
|
|
disabuse
|
to correct a false impression; undeceive.
|
|
|
|
dissolution
|
disintegration; looseness of morals
|
|
|
|
enervate
|
weaken
|
|
|
|
equanimity
|
calmness of temperament; composure
|
|
|
|
indigence
|
poverty
|
|
|
|
insensible
|
unconscious; unresponsive
|
|
|
|
opprobrium
|
infamy; wickedness
|
|
|
|
obstreperous
|
boisterous; noisy
|
|
|
|
orthography
|
correct spelling
|
|
|
|
osseous
|
made of bone; bonelike
|
|
|
|
precipitate (adj)
|
rash; premature; hasty; sudden
|
|
