Gre: Unit I

Front 1

one who boasts about his patriotism and favors a warlike foreign policy. In 1877, British Prime Minister Disraeli sent the fleet to Gallipoli to slow up the Russians. A singer wrote a ditty in honor of the action.

Back 1

jingoist

Front 2

rake; seducer; lover. From an amorous character in an eighteenth-century play, "The Fair Penitent"

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lothario

Front 3

one who acts independently. Samuel " " was a Texas rancher who refused to brand his cattle as others were doing.

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maverick

Front 4

agent of retribution; just punishment. In Greek mythology, the goddess " " punished pretentiousness with her sword and avenging wings.

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nemesis

Front 5

one who makes love insincerely; one who engages in passing love affairs. From the Greek " " ("man-loving") but gained its current usage because many English playwrights gave the name to their romantic leads.

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philanderer

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bitter verbal attack. " " II of Macedon wanted to make Greece into a monarchy. He was opposed by the great orator, Demosthenes, who denounced " " in devastating speeches that came to be known as " "

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philippic

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designed to secure conformity; drastic. An ancient Greek robber named " " tied his victims to a bed and then, to make them fit the bed, stretched the short ones and hacked off the limbs of the taller ones.

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procrustean

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changeable; taking on different forms. In Greek mythology, " " was a sea god who could change his appearance at will

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protean

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a victory that is exceptionally costly. " " defeated the Romans in 279 B.C. but his losses were terribly heavy

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Pyrrhic victory

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romantically idealistic; impractical. The Spanish novelist, Cervantes, brought this word into our language when he wrote " ". His hero went forth foolishly to tilt against windmills and help the downtrodden.

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quixotic

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sluggish; gloomy; grave. After planet so far from sun is thought of as cold and dismal.

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saturnine

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substandard use of words; violation of good manners. Derives from Greek inhabitants of the colony of " " who used a slangy dialect

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solecism

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an unintentional exchange of sounds. Reverend " " of New College, Oxford, occasionally twisted his words around when he got excited so that "conquering kings" came out as "kinkering congs"

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spoonerism

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one who is fond of luxury and soft living. " " was a fabulously wealthy Italian city, symbolic of the good life.

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sybarite

Front 15

cheap; gaudy; showy. Can be traced to St. " ". Scarves called "St. ' 's laces" were sold in England where the local people changed the pronunciation to " ". The quality of the scarves, which at first was good, deteriorated when they were mass produced for the peasant trade.

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tawdry

Front 16

somewhat acid or sour

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acidulous

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excessively greedy

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avaricious

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deadly; sinister

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baleful

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warlike; of a quarrelsome nature

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bellicose

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bad-tempered; bitter. From the French word for liver secretions

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bilious

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arrogant; disagreeably conceited

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bumptious

Front 22

critical; quick to find fault; quibbling

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captious

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rude; surly. This adjective comes from " ", the old word for a peasant.

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churlish

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willing to please; tending to consent to others' wishes

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complaisant

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crushed in spirit by a feeling of guilt

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contrite

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festive; sociable

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convivial

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cowardly

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craven

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courteous, gracious and having a sophisticated charm; suave; urbane. In Old French the word meant "of a good race or breed"

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debonair

Front 29

grouchy; gloomy; a person who suffers from " " or indigestion

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dyspeptic

Front 30

sad; mournful; inclined to shed many tears

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lachrymose

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a clique; a small group joined in a secret intrigue; a conspiracy. This French word was formed from the initials of Charles II's ministers. It ultimately derives from the Hebrew word that referred to a mystical interpretation of the Scriptures.

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cabal

Front 32

good fellowship. Two soldiers sharing the same room usually developed a loyal and warm friendship. The Communist Party adopted the word to denote a fellow member.

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camaraderie

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a distinct social class or system. Hindu society is traditionally divided into four major hereditary " ", each class seperated from the others by restrictions in marriage and occupation

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caste

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concealed, secret

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clandestine

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a group of attendants accompanying a person; a ceremonial procession.

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cortege

Front 36

a relaxing or easing, especially of international tension. After the Cold War years following World War II, the U.S. embarked on a policy of closer ties with Russia; hence was born the policy of " "

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detente

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a level of command or authority or rank; a steplike formation of ships, troops, or planes. Coming to English through several languages, it has descended a ladder starting with the Latin word "scale", which indeed means ladder, and explains why we still "scale a ladder"

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echelon

Front 38

universal; general; fostering Christian unity throughout the world. The idea of " ", as well as the spirit of brotherhood, was fostered by the far-reaching policies of Pope John XXIII (1958-63)

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ecumenical

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a sense of union and of common interests and responsibilities. The French expression literally means "spirit of feeling as one body." It implies not only a camaraderie but a sense of pride or honor shared by those involved in an undertaking.

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espirit de corps

Front 40

lineage; science of family descent. Though our hereditary character is transmitted through genes in our chromosomes, that does not assure us that our " " has provided us with the most desirable traits.

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genealogy

Front 41

a group of persons or things arranged in order rank, or grade; a system of church government by clergymen in graded ranks. The Greek word meant "high priest". From there it was a small step to the designation of the entire church leadership as a " ". With the loss of temporal power by the church after the Middle Ages, the word now refers to any arrangement by authority or position

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hierarchy

Front 42

to associate on very friendly terms. The title of the novel "To Have and Have Not" is an exact translation of the original meaning of the word. It was formed by a combination of two Old English words. The modern meaning suggests the egalitarian idea of friendship not based on one's possessions

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hobnob

Front 43

the contact maintained between military or naval units in order to undertake concerted action; a similar connection between the units of any organization; an illicit relationship between a man and a woman. This word is a cousin to ligature, a connection on the physical level similar to the connection make on an informational level by a " "

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liaison

Front 44

a reestablishing of cordial relations. If there is to be an end to war, people and nations must learn to meet each other, to approach each other on common grounds. Implies a coming together in friendship and trust

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rapprochement

Front 45

slowly, in music. The plural, " " refers to a slow movement in music or a slow ballet dance requiring skillful balancing

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adagio

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the playing of the tones of a chord in rapid succession rather than simultaneously

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arpeggio

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in music, a florid passage requiring great skill and spirit in the performer; a display of daring; a brilliant performance (used as a noun and as an adjective)

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bravura

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the lowest female voice or part, between a soprano and a tenor; a woman having such a voice

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contralto

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a gradual increase in the volume or intensity of sound.

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crescendo

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a typically male singing voice, marked by artificially produced tones in an upper register that go beyond the voice's normal range

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falsetto

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a very loud passage, sound or tone. The word is also used as an adverb

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fortissimo

Front 52

a confused or difficult situation; a confused heap or tangle. The original Latin word describes the situation best -- " " ("entangled in a bush")

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imbroglio

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in a slow, solemn manner (a direction in music); a slow, broad movement (noun)

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largo

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the text of an opera or other dramatic musical work. It is the Italian diminutive of " " ("book")

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libretto

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a state of neglect; an intermediate place. Souls that are kept from heaven through circumstance such as a lack of baptism are said to be here.

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limbo

Front 56

a simultaneous discharge of firearms; a sudden outburst of cheers or the like.

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salvo

Front 57

music performed with a crisp, sharp attack to simulate rests between successive tones; composed of abrupt, distinct, emphatic parts or sounds. This word is from the Old French word destachier ("detach") and is contrasted with legato

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staccato

Front 58

blood feud; a prolongued feud marked by bitter hostility.

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vendetta

Front 59

a scold; a noisy, tyrannizing woman

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virago

Front 60

a doctor who specializes in mental disease.

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alienist

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secretary; one who copies something

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amanuensis

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minor official. The functionary carrying a mace (symbolic club) at the head of a university procession is this.

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beadle

Front 63

a quack; one who is not what he claims to be

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charlatan

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a specialist in the study of insects.

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entomologist

Front 65

a handwriting analyst. often hired as entertainers today, analyzing the handwriting of guests at a party and describing their character traits and aptitudes

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graphologist

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an expert in precious stones. They cut, polish, and engrave stones

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lapidary

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an expert in the branch of zoology dealing with birds

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ornithologist

Front 68

one who treats ailments by placing pressure on bones and nerves

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osteopath

Front 69

a biologist who deals with the functions and vital processes of living organisms

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physiologist

Front 70

an exceptionally handsome young man; a plant with solitary red or yellow flowers. Was beloved by both Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Persephone, the queen of the dead. He was killed by a boar in a hunting expedition and from his life's blood sprang up a crimson flower

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Adonis

Front 71

sponsorship, protection. In Greek mythology the " " was the shield of Zeus, lent to him by Athena

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aegis

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a follower of Bacchus (Greek, Dionysus) the god of wine; a drunken reveler; an orgy. Early Greek drama developed in connection with the festival honoring this god

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bacchanal

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a daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy who had the gift of prophecy but was cursed by Apollo so that her prophecies, though true, were fated never to be believed; one who prophesies doom or disaster. The Trojans thought she was insane and disregarded her predictions. Among these were the revelation that Troy would be destroyed if Paris went to Sparta, and that there were armed Greeks in the Wooden Horse. If either of these prophesies had been heeded, Troy would have been saved

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Cassandra

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abundance; horn of plenty. Named after the horn of the goat Amalthea that suckled the infant Zeus, the horn is always full of food and drink in endless supply

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cornucopia

Front 75

excessive desire for wealth. In Roman mythology Cupid was the god of love, represented by a winged boy with a bow and arrow. It has come to mean "avarice"

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cupidity

Front 76

concerning sexual love and desire; amatory. Eros was the Greek god of love

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erotic

Front 77

tremendously difficult and demanding; resembling Hercules in size, power, or courage. Hercules was the son of Zeus and Alcmene who won immortality by performing Twelve Labors demanding by the jealous Hera

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herculean

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the nine-headed serpent slain by Hercules; a persistent or many-sided problem that presents new obstacles as soon as old ones are solved. The " " had to be slain by Hercules as one of his Twelve Labors. This monster grew two heads for each one cut off. Hercules finally destroyed the " " by cauterizing the necks as he cut off the heads

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hydra

Front 79

displaying lustrous colors like those of the rainbow. Iris was a messenger of the gods and regarded as the goddess of the rainbow

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iridescent

Front 80

excessive admiration of oneself; egocentrism. Narcissus was a youth who, having spurned the love of Echo, fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool, and after wasting away from unsatisfied desire was transformed into the flower that bears his name. The plant, incidentally, has narcotic effects (from the Greek narke, "numbness")

Back 80

narcissism

Front 81

a long series of wanderings, especially when filled with notable experiences or hardships. The " ", called "the greatest tale of all time," is the second epic of Homer. It recounts the wanderings and adventures of Odysseus after the fall of Troy, and his eventual return home to his faithful with Penelope

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odyssey

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pertaining to the twelve gods of the ancient Greek pantheon whose abode was Mt. " "; majestic; incomparably superior; pertaining to the " " games. " ", the highest mountain in Greece, is located in northern Greece (Macedonia). Is is sometimes used synonymously with "Heaven" or "the Sky"

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Olympian

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anything believed to provide protection or safety; a safeguard or guarantee of the integrity of social institutions. " " was the fabled statue of Pallus Athena that assured the safety of Troy as long as it remained within the city

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palladium

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a person or thing of peerless beauty or excellence; a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity or apparent annihilation. The " " was a mythical bird of great beauty, fabled to live 600 years in the Arabian desert, to burn itself on a funeral pyre, and to rise from its ashes to live through another cycle. It is an emblem of immortality

Back 84

phoenix