Gre Vocab 1/4

Front 1

wizened

Back 1

withered shriveled

Front 2

woe

Back 2

deep, inconsolable grief, affliction, suffering pale and wan with grief

Front 3

wont

Back 3

custom habitual procedure

Front 4

worldly

Back 4

engrossed in matters of this earth, not spiritual

Front 5

wrangle

Back 5

quarrel, obtain through arguing

Front 6

wrath

Back 6

anger, fury

Front 7

wreak

Back 7

inflict

Front 8

writ

Back 8

pull away, taken by innocent

Front 9

writhe

Back 9

twist in cios, contort in pain

Front 10

wry

Back 10

twisted, with a humorous twist.

Front 11

xenophobia

Back 11

fear or hatred of foreigners

Front 12

yen

Back 12

longing, urge

Front 13

yeoman

Back 13

man owning small estate, middle-class farmer

Front 14

yield

Back 14

amount produced, crop, income on investment

Front 15

yoke

Back 15

join together, unite

Front 16

yokel

Back 16

country bumpkin. eg. At school, his classmates regarded him as a yokel and laughed at his rustic mannerisms.

Front 17

yore

Back 17

time past.

Front 18

zany

Back 18

crazy, comic

Front 19

zeal

Back 19

eager enthusiasm

Front 20

zealot

Back 20

fanatic, person who shows excessive zeal

Front 21

zenith

Back 21

point directly overhead in the sky, summit

Front 22

zephyr

Back 22

gentle breeze west wind

Front 23

witticism

Back 23

witty saying, wisecrack

Front 24

witless

Back 24

foolish, idiotic

Front 25

withstand

Back 25

stand up against, succesfully resist

Front 26

wither

Back 26

shivel, decay

Front 27

wistful

Back 27

vaguely longing, sadly pensive

Front 28

wispy

Back 28

thin, slightly, brarely discernible

Front 29

winsome

Back 29

agreeable, gracious, engaging

Front 30

winnow

Back 30

gift, separate good parts from bad

Front 31

avuncular

Back 31

like an uncle. Avnucular pride did not prevent him from noticing his nephew's shortcomings

Front 32

avow

Back 32

declare opnly. Lana avowed that she enver meatn to steal Debbie's bf, but no one believed her avowal of innocence

Front 33

avocation

Back 33

secondary or minor occupation. his hobby proved to be so fascinating and profitable that gradually he abandoned his regular occupation and concentrate on his avocation

Front 34

avid

Back 34

greedy; eager for. He was avid for learning and read everything he could get. avidity N

Front 35

aviary

Back 35

enclosure for birds. The aviary at the zoo held nearly 300 birds

Front 36

avert

Back 36

prevent; turn away. She averted her eyes from the dead cat on the highway

Front 37

aversion

Back 37

firm dislike. bert had an aversion to yuppies; alex had an aversion to punks.

Front 38

averse

Back 38

reluctant; disinclined. The reporter was averse to revealing the sources of his information

Front 39

aver

Back 39

assert confidently or declare; as used in law, state formally as a fact. The self-proclaimed psychic averred that, because he had extrasensory perception on which to base his predicitons, he needed no seismographs or other gadgets in order to foretell earthquakes

Front 40

avenge

Back 40

take vengeance for something (or on behalf of someone). Hamlet vowed he would avenge his father's murder and punish Claudius for his horrible crime

Front 41

avarice

Back 41

greediness for wealth. avaricious gold digger

Front 42

avalanche

Back 42

great mass of falling snow and ice

Front 43

auxilliary

Back 43

offering or providing help; additional or subsidiary. To prepare for the emregency, they built an auxiliary power station

Front 44

autopsy

Back 44

examination of a dead body; postmortem. The medical examiner ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death

Front 45

autonomous

Back 45

self-governing

Front 46

automaton

Back 46

mechanism that imitates actions of humans. Long before science fiction readers became aware of robots, writers were creating storeis of automations who could outperform humans

Front 47

autocratic

Back 47

having absolute; unchecked power; dictatorial. A person accustomed to exercising authority may become autocratic if his or her power is unchecked

Front 48

authoritative

Back 48

having the weight of authority; peremptory and dictatorial, Impressed by the young researcher's well documented presentation, we accepted her analysis of the experiment as authoritative

Front 49

authoritarian

Back 49

subordinating the individual to the state; completely dominating another's will.

Front 50

authenticate

Back 50

prove genuine. An expert was needed to authenticate the original Van Gogh painting, distinguishing it fro its imitation

Front 51

austere

Back 51

forbiddingly stern; severly simple and unornamented. The headmaster's austere demeanor tended to scare off the more timid students

Front 52

auspicious

Back 52

favoring success. With favorable weather conditions, it was an auspicious moment to set sail

Front 53

auroral

Back 53

pertaining to the aurora borealis. (sunlight) The auroral display was paritcilary spectacular that evening

Front 54

aureole

Back 54

the sun's corona; halo. many medieval paintins depict saintly characters with aureoles around their heads.

Front 55

august

Back 55

impressive; majestic. Visitng the palace at versailles, she was impressed by the august surroundings in which she found herself

Front 56

augury

Back 56

ormen; prophecy. he interpreted the departure of the birds as an augury of evil. augur v

Front 57

augment

Back 57

increase; add to. Armies augment their forces by calling up reinforcements; teachers augment their salaries by taking odd jobs

Front 58

audit

Back 58

examination of accounts. When the bank examiners arrived to hold their annual aduit, they discovered the embezzlements of the chief cashier

Front 59

audacious

Back 59

daring; bold. Audiences cheered as Lucke SKywalker and princess Leia made their audacious death defying leap to freedom and escaped darth Vader's troops. audacity N

Front 60

atypical

Back 60

not normal.

Front 61

attrition

Back 61

gradual decrease in no. reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment. In the 1960s urban churches suffered from attrition as members moved from the cities to the suburbs

Front 62

attribute

Back 62

ascribe; explain. I attribute her success in science to the encouragement she received from her parents

Front 63

attribute

Back 63

essential quality. his outstanding attribute was his kindness

Front 64

attest

Back 64

testify; bear witness. Havin served as a member of a grand jury, I can attest that our system of indicting indiviauls is in need of improvement

Front 65

attenuate

Back 65

make thinner; weaken or lessen (in density, force, degree). The long, dry spell attenuated the creek to the merest trickle.

Front 66

attentive

Back 66

alert and watchful; considerate; thougthful. Spellbound, the attentive audience watched the final game of the tennis match, never taking their eyes from the ball

Front 67

atrophy

Back 67

wasting away. Polio victims need physiotherapy to prevent the atrophy of affected limbs

Front 68

atrocity

Back 68

brutal deed. In time of war, many atrocities are committeed by invading armies

Front 69

atone

Back 69

make amends for; pay for. He knew no way in which he could atone for his brutal crime

Front 70

atheist

Back 70

one who denies the existence of God.

Front 71

atavism

Back 71

resemblance to remote ancestors rather to parents; reversion to an earlier type; throwback. in his Tuscan ancestors who lavished great are on their small plots of soil. atavistic adj

Front 72

asymmetric

Back 72

not identical on both sides of a dividing central line

Front 73

asylum

Back 73

place of refuge or shelter; protection

Front 74

asunder

Back 74

into parts; apart. A fierce quarrel split the partnership asunder; the two partners finally sundered their connections because their points of view were poles asunder

Front 75

astute

Back 75

wise; shrewd; keen. Teh painter was an astute observer, notcing every tiny detail of her model's appearance and knowing exactly how important each one is

Front 76

astronomical

Back 76

enormously large or extensive. The governmentseemed wiling to spend astronomical sums on weapons development

Front 77

astringent

Back 77

bidnign; causing contractio; harsh or severe. The astringent quality of the unsweetened lemon juice made swallowing difficult

Front 78

astral

Back 78

relating to te stars. She was amazed at the no. of astral bodies the new telescope revealed

Front 79

astigmatism

Back 79

eye defect that prevents proper focus. As soon as his parents discovered that the boy suffered from astigmatism, they took him to the optometrist for correct glasses

Front 80

asteroid

Back 80

small planet. Asteroids have become commonplace to the readers of interstellar travel stories in science fiction magazines

Front 81

assurance

Back 81

promise or pledge; certainty; self-confidence. When Harry gave James his assurance that rehearsals were going well, he spoke with such assurnance that James was convinced. assure

Front 82

assuage

Back 82

ease or lessen pain_; satisfy hunger; soothe anger. Jilted by Jane, Dick tried to assuage his heartache by indulging in ice cream

Front 83

assimilate

Back 83

absorb; cause to become homogenous. The manner in which the United states was able to assimilate the hordes of immigrants during the 19th C and early part of the 20C the will always be a source of a pride

Front 84

assessment

Back 84

estimation; appraisal. I would like to have your assessment of the situation in south africa

Front 85

assert

Back 85

state strongly or positvely; insist on or demand recognition of (rights, claims). WHen Jill asserted that nobody else in the junior class had such an early curfewe, her parents asserted themselves telling her that if she didn't get home by nine o clock, she would be grounded for the week. assertion N

Front 86

assent

Back 86

agree; accept. It gives me great pleasure to assent to your request

Front 87

assay

Back 87

analyze; evaluate. When they assayed the ore, they found that they had discovered a very rich vein.

Front 88

assail

Back 88

attack; assault. He was assailed with questions after his lecture

Front 89

aspice

Back 89

seek to attain; long for. Because he aspired to a career in professional sports, Philip enrolled in a graduate program in sports management, aspiration N

Front 90

aspirant

Back 90

seek after position or status. Although I am an aspirant for public office, I am not willing to accept the dictates of the party bosses.

Front 91

aspersion

Back 91

slanderous remark. Rather than attacking President Cleveland's arguments with logic, his oppoent resorted to causing aspersions ont he president's moral character

Front 92

asperity

Back 92

sharpness (of temper). These remarks, spoken with asperity, stung the boys to whom they had been directed

Front 93

askew

Back 93

crooked; slanted; at an angle. When the clown placed his hat askew upon his head, the children in the audience laughed

Front 94

asinine

Back 94

ass/stupid. Your asinine remarks prove that you have not given this problem any serious consideration

Front 95

ashen

Back 95

ash-colored' deadly pale. Her face was ashen with fear.

Front 96

aseptic

Back 96

preventing infection; having a cleansing effect. HOspitals succeeded in lowering the mortality rate as soon as they introduced aspetic conditions

Front 97

ascribe

Back 97

refer; attribute; assign. I can ascribe no motive for her acts.

Front 98

ascertain

Back 98

find out for certain. Please ascertain her present address

Front 99

ascendancy

Back 99

controlling influence. President Marcos failed to maintain his ascendancy over the PHilippines

Front 100

artless

Back 100

without guile; open and honest. Red Riding Hood's artless comment, 'Grandma, what big eyes you have!' indicates the hcild's innocent surprise at her 'grandmother's changed appearance

Front 101

artisan

Back 101

manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist. Eldlery artisans from Italy trained Harlem teenagers to carve the stone figures that would decorate the new wing of the cathedral

Front 102

artifice

Back 102

deception; grickery. The Trojan war proved to the Greeks that cunning and artifice were often more effective than military might

Front 103

artifact

Back 103

object made by human beings; either handmade or mass produced. Archaeologists debated the significance of the artifacts discovered in th ruins of Asia Minor but came to no conclusion about the culture they represented

Front 104

artful

Back 104

cunning; crafty; sly. By using accurate details to suggest a misleading picture of the whole, the artful propagandist turns partial truths into more effective instruments of deception than lies

Front 105

arsenal

Back 105

storage place for military equipment. People are forbidden to smoke in the arsenal lest a stray spark set off the munitions stored there

Front 106

arroyo

Back 106

gully. Until the heavy rains of the past spring, this royo had been a dry bed

Front 107

arrogance

Back 107

prid; haugtiness. convninced that Emma thought she was better than anyone else in the class, Ed rebuked her for her arrogance

Front 108

arrhythimic

Back 108

lacking rhythm or regularity. The doctors feared his arrhythmic hearbeat might be the first symptom of an imminent heart attack. arrhythimia N

Front 109

arrest

Back 109

stop or check; seize or catpu(the attention) According to Chonnolly's theory of permanent adolescent, the triumps and disappointments that boys experiene at the great British public schools are so intense as to dominate their lives and to arrest their development

Front 110

arrears

Back 110

being in debt. Because he was in arrears with his car payments, the repo men repossessed his Porsche

Front 111

array

Back 111

cloth; adorn. She liked to watch her mother array herself in her finest clothes before going out for the evening

Front 112

array

Back 112

marshal; draw up in order. His actions were bound to array public sentiment against him

Front 113

arraign

Back 113

charge in court; indict. After his indictment by the Grand Jury, the accused man was arraigned in the County Criminal Court.

Front 114

aromatic

Back 114

fraggrant. Medieval sailing vessels brought aromatic herbs from china to europe

Front 115

armada

Back 115

fleet of warships. Spanish armada

Front 116

aristocracy

Back 116

hereditary nobilit; priviledge class. Americans have mixed feelings about hereditary aristocracy; we say all men are created equal , but we describe particularly outstanding people as natural aristocrats

Front 117

arid

Back 117

dry; barren. The cactus has adapted to survive in an arid environment

Front 118

aria

Back 118

operatic solo. At her Metropolitan Opera audition, Marian Anderson sang an aria from Norma

Front 119

argot

Back 119

slang; in the argot of the underworld, she 'was taken for a ride'

Front 120

arduous

Back 120

hard; strenuous. Her arduous efforts had sapped her energy

Front 121

ardor

Back 121

heat; passion; zea;. Katya's ardor was contagous; soon al her fellow demonstrtors were busily making posters and handing out flyers, inspired by her ardent enthusiasm for the cause. ardent adj

Front 122

archives

Back 122

public records; place where public records are kept. These documents should be part of the archives so that historians may be able to evaluate them in the future

Front 123

archipelago

Back 123

group of closely located islands. When he looked at hte mpa and saw the archipelagoes in the South Seas, he longed to visit them

Front 124

archetrype

Back 124

prototype; primitive pattern. The Brooklyn Bridge was the archetype of the many spans that now connect Manhattan with Long Iasland and New Jersey

Front 125

archaic

Back 125

antiquated. 'Methinks' 'thee' 'thou' are archaic words that are no longer part of our normal vocabulary. eg. archaic gaffer= old man

Front 126

archaeology

Back 126

the study of artifacts and relics of early mankind.

Front 127

arcane

Back 127

secret; mysterious; known only to the intiated. Secret brother hoods surround themselves with arcane rituals and trappings to mystify outsiders

Front 128

arcade

Back 128

a covered passageway, usually lined with shops. The arcade was popular with shoppers because it gave them protection from the summer sun and winter rain

Front 129

arboretum

Back 129

place where different varieties of trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited. Walking along the treelined paths of the arboretum, Rita noted polars, firs, and some particularly fine sycamores

Front 130

arbitrate

Back 130

act as judge. She was calle dupong to arbitrate the dispute between the union and the management

Front 131

arbitrary

Back 131

unreasonable or capricious; tyrannical. The coach claimed the team lost because the umpire made some arbitrary calls

Front 132

arbiter

Back 132

person with power to decide a matter in dispute; judge. As an arbiter in labor idsputes, she has won the confidence of the worekers and the employers

Front 133

arable

Back 133

fit for growing crops. The first settlers wrote home glowing reports of the New World, praising its vast acres of arable land ready for the plow.

Front 134

arabesque

Back 134

style of decoration involving intertwined plants and abstract curves; ballet position wiht one leg supporting the weight of the body, whie the other leg is extended in back.

Front 135

aquiline

Back 135

curved hook. Tan tan has an aquiline nose that curved like the beak of the eagle

Front 136

apropos

Back 136

with reference to; regarding. Apropos the waltz, the dance has its faults

Front 137

apropos

Back 137

to the point and timely. When Bob spoke out against drunnk driving, some of our crowd calle dhim a spoilsport, but the rest of us found his comemnts extremely apropos

Front 138

appurtenances

Back 138

subordinate possessions. He bough the estate and all its appurtenances

Front 139

appropriate

Back 139

acquire; take possession of for one's own use. The ranch owners appropritated the lands that had originally been set aside fot the Indians' use.

Front 140

approbation

Back 140

approval. Wanting her parents' regard, she looked for some sign of their approbation. Benjamin Franklin, that shrewd observer of mankind, once wrote, 'we must not in the course of public life expect immedite approbation and immediate grateful acknowledgement of our service.'

Front 141

apprise

Back 141

inform/ notify. When NASA was apprised of the dangerou weather conditions, the head of the space agency decided to postpone the shuttle launch

Front 142

apprehensive

Back 142

fearful; discerning. his apprehensive glances at the people who were walking in the street revealed his nervousness.

Front 143

apprehend

Back 143

arrest (a criminal); dread; perceive. The police wll apprehend the culprit and convict him before long

Front 144

appreciate

Back 144

be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of.

Front 145

appraise

Back 145

estimate value of. It is difficult to appraise old paintings; it is easier to call them priceless. appraisal N

Front 146

apposite

Back 146

appropriate; fitting. she was always able to find the apposite phrase, the correct expression for every occasion

Front 147

application

Back 147

diligent attention. Pleased with how ell Tom had whitewashed the fence, Aunt polly praised him for his application. (Tom had applied himself to applying the paint). secondary meagning apply v

Front 148

append

Back 148

attach. When you append a bibliography to a text, you have created an appendix

Front 149

appellation

Back 149

name; title. Macbeth was startled when the witches greeted him with an incorrect applelation.

Front 150

appease

Back 150

pacify or soothe; relieve. Tom and Jody tried to appease the crying baby by offering him one toy after another

Front 151

apparition

Back 151

ghost; phantom. On the castle battlement,s an apparition materialized and spoke to Hamlet, warning him of his uncle's treachery. In Ghostbusters, hordes of apparitions materialized, only to be dematerialized byt he specialized apparatus wielded by Bill Murray

Front 152

appall

Back 152

dismay; shock. We were appalled by the horrifying conditions in the city's jails

Front 153

apotheosis

Back 153

elevation to godhood; an idea; exampple of something. The Roman empress Livia envied the late emperor Augustus his apotheosis; she hoped that on her death she, too would be exlated to the ranks of the gods

Front 154

apothegm

Back 154

pithy, compact saying. Proverbs are apothegms that have become familiar sayings

Front 155

apothecary

Back 155

druggist. In Holland, apothecaries still sell spices as well as ointments and pills

Front 156

apostate

Back 156

one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs. Because he switched from one party to antoher, his former friends shunned him as an apostate.

Front 157

apologist

Back 157

one who writes in defense of a cuase of institute. Rather than act as an apologist for the current regime in Beijing andd efend tis brutal actions, the young dplomat decided to defect to the West

Front 158

apolitical

Back 158

having an aversion or lack of concern for political affairs. It was hard to remain apolitical during the Vietna war; even people who generally ignored public issue felt they had to take political stands

Front 159

apogee

Back 159

highest point.

Front 160

apocryphal

Back 160

spurious; not authentic; invented rather thant rue. Although many versions exist of the famous story of Emerson's visit to Thoereau in jail, in his writings, Thoreau never mentions any such visit by Emerson, and so the tale is mostly apocryphal

Front 161

apocralyptic

Back 161

prophetic; pertaining to revelations. The crowd jeered at the street preacher's apocalyptic predictiosn of doom.

Front 162

aplomb

Back 162

poise; assurance. Gwen's aplomb in handling potentially embarrassing moments was legnedary around the office; when one of her clients broke a piece of her best crystal, she coolly picked up her own goblet and hurled it into the fireplace

Front 163

apiary

Back 163

place where bees are kept. Although he spent many horus daily in the apiary, he was very seldom stung by a bee

Front 164

aphorism

Back 164

pithy maxim or saying. An aphorism is usually philosophic or scientifc, as compare to an adage, which is usally more homely and concrete

Front 165

aphasia

Back 165

loss of speech due to injury or illness. After the automobile accident, the victim had periods of aphasia when he could not speak at all or oculd only mumble incoherently

Front 166

aperture

Back 166

opening; hole. She discovered a small aperture int he wall, through which the insects had entered the room

Front 167

ape

Back 167

imitate or mimic. In the comeday Young Frankenstein, when the servan lgor limps off, saying 'walk thi way, the hero apes him, hobbling after lgor in an imitation of his walk

Front 168

apathy

Back 168

lack of caring; indifference. eg. John.M.

Front 169

anvil

Back 169

iron block used in hammering out metas. After heating the iron horseshoe in the forge, the blacksmith picked it up with his tongs and set it on the anvil

Front 170

antithesis

Back 170

contrast; direct opposite of or to. This tyranny was the antitthesis of all that he had hoped for, and h fought it with all his strength, antitthetical or antithetic adj

Front 171

antiseptic

Back 171

substance that prevents infection. IT si advisable to apply an antiseptic to any wound, no atter how slight or insignificant

Front 172

antiquated

Back 172

obsolete; outdated. Accustomed to editing his papers on word processors, Philip thought typewriters were too antiquated for him to use

Front 173

antipathy

Back 173

aversion; dislike. John's extreme antipathy for disputes keeps him from getting into arguments with his temperamental wife

Front 174

antidote

Back 174

remedy to cunteract a poison or disease. When Marge's child accidentally swallowed some cleaning fluid, the local poison control hotline instructed Marge how to administer the antidote

Front 175

anticlimax

Back 175

letdown in thought or emotion

Front 176

antic

Back 176

extravagantly odd. Putting on an antic disposition, Hamlet acts so odd that the Danish court thinks him mad

Front 177

anthropomorphic

Back 177

having human form or charateristics. Primitive religions often have deities with antrhopomorphic characteristics

Front 178

anthropologist

Back 178

student of the history and science of humankind. Anthropologists have discovered several relics of prehistoric humans in this area

Front 179

anthropoid

Back 179

manlike. The gorilal is the strongest of the anthropoid animals

Front 180

anthology

Back 180

book of literary selections by various authors. This anthology of scince ficiton was compiled by the late Isaac Asimov. anthologize v

Front 181

anthem

Back 181

song of praise or patriotism. let us now all join in singing the national anthem

Front 182

antediluvian

Back 182

antiquated; extremely ancient. Looking at his great aunt's antique furniture, which must have been cluttering u her attic since before Noah's flood, the young heir exlciamed, 'Heavens! how positevely antediluvian!'

Front 183

antecedents

Back 183

preceding events or circumstances that influence what comes later; ancestors or early background. Susi Bachhofer's ignorance of her Jewish backgground had its antecedents in the choas of WWII

Front 184

antecede

Back 184

precede. The invention of the radiotelegraph anteceded the development of television by a quarter of a century

Front 185

antagonism

Back 185

hostility; active resistanec. Barry showed his antagonism toward his new stepmother by ignoring her whenever she tried talking to him. antagonistic adj

Front 186

anonymity

Back 186

state of being naeless; anonymousness.

Front 187

anomaly

Back 187

irregularly; abnormal

Front 188

anomalous

Back 188

abnormal; irregular. She was placed in the anomalous position of seeing to approve procedures that she despised

Front 189

anoint

Back 189

consecrate. The propher samuel anointed David with oi, crowning him king of Israel

Front 190

anodyne

Back 190

drug that relieves pain; opiate. His pain was so great that no anodyne could relieve it

Front 191

annul

Back 191

make void. The parents of the eloped couple tried to annul the marriage

Front 192

annuity

Back 192

yearly allowance. The annuity she set up with the insurance company supplements her social security benefits so that she canlive very comfortably without working

Front 193

annotate

Back 193

comment; make explanatory notes. In the appendix to the novel, the critic soughtt o annotate many of them ore esoteric references

Front 194

annex

Back 194

attach; take possession of. Mexico objected to the United States' attempts to annex the territory that later became the state of Texas

Front 195

anneal

Back 195

reduce brittleness and improve toughtness by heating and cooling. After the glass is annealed, it will be less subject to chipping and cracking

Front 196

annuals

Back 196

records; history. In the annals of this period, we find no mention of democratic movements

Front 197

animus

Back 197

hostile feeling or intent. The animus of the speaker became obvious to all when he began to indulge in sarcastic and insulting remarks

Front 198

animosity

Back 198

active enmity. He incurred the animosity of the ruling class because he advocated limitations of their power

Front 199

animated

Back 199

lively; spirited. Jim Carrey's facial expressions are highly animated; when he played Ace Ventura he was practically rubber faced

Front 200

animadversion

Back 200

critica; remark. He resented the animadversions of his critics, particularly because he realized they were true

Front 201

angular

Back 201

sharp cornered; stiff in manner. Mr.Mak's features, though angular, were curiously attracitve, in a Vulcan way

Front 202

anguish

Back 202

acute; pain; extreme suffering. Visitng the site of the explosion, the president wept to see the angusih of the victims and their families

Front 203

anesthetic

Back 203

substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness. His monotonous voice acted like an anestehetic; his audience was soon asleep. anesthesia N

Front 204

anemia

Back 204

condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles. The doctor ascribes her tiredness to anemia. anemic adj

Front 205

anecdote

Back 205

short account of an amusing or interesting event. Rather than make concrete proposals for welfare reform, President Reagan told anecdotes about poor people who becaeme wealthy despite their impoverished backgrounds

Front 206

ancilliary

Back 206

serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary. In an ancillary capacity Doctor Watson was helpful; however, HOlmes could not trust the good doctor to solve a perplexing case on his own

Front 207

anchor

Back 207

secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place. We set the post in concrete to anchor it in place. anchorage N

Front 208

ancestry

Back 208

family descent. David can trace his acestry as far back as the 17th C, when one of his ancestors was a court trumpeter somewhere in Germany. ancestral adj

Front 209

anathema

Back 209

solemn curse; someone or soemthing regarded as a curse. The Ayatolla Khomeini heaped anathema upon 'the great satan' that is, the united states

Front 210

anarchy

Back 210

absence of governing body; state of disorder. The assassination of the leaders led to a period of anarchy

Front 211

anarchist

Back 211

person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority. Denying she was na anarchist, Katy maintained she wishe donly to make changes in our government, not to destroy it entirely

Front 212

analogy

Back 212

similarity; paralleism.

Front 213

analogous

Back 213

comparable; she called our attention to the things that had been done in an analogous sistuation and recommended that we do the same

Front 214

analgesic

Back 214

causing insensitivity to pain. The analgesic qualities of this lotion will provide temporary relief

Front 215

anachronisim

Back 215

something or someone misplaced in time. Shakespear's reference to clocks in Julius caesar is an anachronism; no clocks existed in Caesar's time. anachronistic adj

Front 216

amulet

Back 216

charm; talisman. Around her neck she wore the amulet that the witch doctor had given her

Front 217

amok (also amuck)

Back 217

in a state of rage. The police had to be called in to restrain him after he ran amok in the department store

Front 218

amputate

Back 218

cut off party of body; prune

Front 219

amplify

Back 219

broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify, make stronger.

Front 220

ample

Back 220

abundant. Bond had ample opportunity to escape. Why, then did he let us capture him?

Front 221

amphitheater

Back 221

oval building with tiers of seats. Mountainview has an amphitheater

Front 222

amphibian

Back 222

able to live both on land and in water. Frogs are classified as amphibian

Front 223

amorphous

Back 223

formless; lacking shape or definition. As soon as we have decided on our itenierary, we shall send you a copy; right now, our plans are still amorphous

Front 224

amorous

Back 224

moved by sexual love; loving. 'love them and leave them' was the motto of the amorous Don Juan

Front 225

amoral

Back 225

nonmoral. The amoral individual lacks a code of ethics; he cannot tell right from wrong.

Front 226

amnesty

Back 226

pardon. When his first child was born, the king granted amnesty to all in prison

Front 227

amnesia

Back 227

loss of memory. because she was suffering form amnesia, the police could not get the young girl to identify herself

Front 228

amity

Back 228

friendship. Student exchange programs such as the Experiment in International Living were established to promote international amity

Front 229

amiss

Back 229

wrong; faulty. seeing her frown, he wondered if naything were amiss

Front 230

amicable

Back 230

politely; fridnly; not quarrelsome. Beth's sister Jo is the hot tempered tomboy who has a hard time maintaining amicable relationships with those around her

Front 231

amiable

Back 231

agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly. In Little Women, Beth is the amiable daughter whose loving disposition endears her to all who know her

Front 232

amenities

Back 232

convenient features; courtesies. In addition to the customary amenities for the business traveler-fax machines, moderns, a health club=the hotel offers the services of abutler versed in the social amenities.

Front 233

amend

Back 233

correct; change. generally for th better. Hoping to amend his condition, he left Vietnam for the United states

Front 234

amenable

Back 234

readily managed or willing to be led; answerable or accountable legally. Although the ambassador was usually amenable to friendy suggestions, he blaked when we hinted he should pay his parking tickets

Front 235

ambulatory

Back 235

able to walk; not bedridden. Calvin was a higly ambulatory patient; not only did h refuse to be confined to bed, but also he insisted on riding his skateboard up and down the halls

Front 236

ambrosia

Back 236

food of the gods. Ambrosia was supposed to give immorality to any human who ate it

Front 237

ambe

Back 237

moving at an easy pace. When she first mounted the horse, she was afraid to urge the animal to go faster than a gentle amble

Front 238

ambivalence

Back 238

the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes. Torn betwen loving her parents one minute and hating them the next, she was confused by the ambivalence of her feelings. ambivalent adj

Front 239

ambiguous

Back 239

unclear or doubtful in meaning. His ambiguous instructions misled us; we did not know which road to take. ambiguity N

Front 240

ambience

Back 240

environment; atmosphere. she went to the restaurant not for the food but for the ambience

Front 241

ambidextrous

Back 241

capable of using either hand with equal ease. A switch hitter in baseball should be naturally ambidextrous

Front 242

amazon

Back 242

female warrior. Ever since the days of Greek mythology we refer to strong and aggerssive women as amazons

Front 243

amass

Back 243

collect. The miser's aim is to amass and hoard as much gold as possible

Front 244

amalgamate

Back 244

combine; unite in one body. The unions will attempt to amalgamate their groups into one national body

Front 245

altrustic

Back 245

unselfishly generous; concerned for others. IN proviing tutorial assistance and college scholarships for hundreds of economically disadvantaged yourths, Eugene Lang performed a truly altruistic deed. altruism N

Front 246

altercation

Back 246

noisy quarrel; heated dispue. In that hot tempered houshold, no meal ever came to a peaceful conculsion; the inevitable altercation sometimes even ended in blows

Front 247

aloft

Back 247

upward; the sailor clibed aloft into the rigging

Front 248

aloof

Back 248

apart; reserved. Shy by nature, she remained aloof while all the rest conversed

Front 249

alluvial

Back 249

pertaining to soil deposits left by running water. The farmers found the aluvial deposits at the mouth of the river very fertile

Front 250

allusion

Back 250

indirect reference. When Amanda said to the ticket scalper 'one hundered bucks? what do you want a pound of flesh?' she was making an allusion to Shakespeare's merchant of Venice

Front 251

allure

Back 251

entice; attract. Allured by the song of the sirens. the helmsman steered the ship toward the reef

Front 252

allude

Back 252

refer indirectly. Try not to mention divorce in Jack's presence because he will think you are alluding to his marital problems with Jill

Front 253

alloy

Back 253

mix; make less pure; lessen or moderate. Our delight at the Mets' victory was alloyed by our concern for Al Laites, who injured his pitching arm in the game

Front 254

alloy

Back 254

a mixture as of metals. Alloys of gold are used more frequently than the pure metal

Front 255

allocate

Back 255

assign. Even tho the Red Cross had allocated a large sum for the relief of the sufferers of the disaster, many people perished

Front 256

alliteration

Back 256

repetition of begininign sound in poetry. 'The furrow followed free' is an example of alliteration

Front 257

allevate

Back 257

relive. This should alleviate the pain; if it does not,we shall have to use stronger drugs.

Front 258

allegory

Back 258

story in which characters are used as aymbols; fable. Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory of the temptations and victories of the human soul. allegorical

Front 259

allegiance

Back 259

loyalty. not even a term in prison could shake Lech Walesa's allegiance to Solidarity, the Polish trade union he had helped to found

Front 260

allege

Back 260

state without proof. Although it is alleged that she has worked for the enmy, she denies the allegation and , legally, we can take no action against her witout proof. Allegation N

Front 261

allay

Back 261

calm; pacify. The crew tried to allay fhe fears of the passengers by annoucing that the fire had been controlled

Front 262

alimony

Back 262

payments made to an ex spouse after divoce. Because John had supported Tina through medical school, on their divorce he asked the court to award him 5000 a month in alimony

Front 263

alimentary

Back 263

supplying nourishment. The alimentary canal in our bodies is so named because digestion of foods occurs there.

Front 264

alienate

Back 264

make hostile; separate. Her attempts to alienate the two friends failed because they had complete faith in each other

Front 265

alias

Back 265

an assumed name. John Smith's alias was Bob marley

Front 266

alcove

Back 266

nook;recess. Though their aparment lacked a full scale dining room, an alcove adjacent to the living room made an adequate breakfast nook for the young couple

Front 267

alchemy

Back 267

medieval form of speculative though that aimed to transform base metals (lead or copper) into silve or gold and to discover a means of prolonging life

Front 268

alarcrity

Back 268

cheerful promptness; eagerness. Phil and Dave were raring to get off to the mountains; they packed up their ski gear and clibed int the van with alacrity

Front 269

agrarian

Back 269

pertaining to land or its cultivation. As a result of its recent iustrialization, the country is gradually losing its agrarian traditions

Front 270

agog

Back 270

highly exicted; intensely curious. We were all agog at the news that the celebrated movie star was giving up his career in order to enter a monastery

Front 271

agnostic

Back 271

one who is sketpical of the existence of a god or any ultimate reality. Agnostics say we can neither prove nor disprove the existence of God; we simply have no way to know

Front 272

agitate

Back 272

stir up; disturb. her fiery remarks agitated the already angry mob

Front 273

agility

Back 273

nimbleness; The agility of the acrobat amazed and thrilled the audience

Front 274

aghast

Back 274

horrified; dumbfounded. Miss Manners was aghoast at the crude behavior of the fraternity brothers at the annual toga party

Front 275

aggressor

Back 275

attacker. Before you punish both boys for fighting, see whether you can determine which one was the aggressor

Front 276

aggregate

Back 276

gather; accumulate. Before the Wall Street scandals, dealers in so called junk bonds managed to aggregate great wealth in short periods of time. adj aggretation N

Front 277

aggrandize

Back 277

increase or intensify; raise in power, wealth rank or honor. The history of the past quarter century illustrates how a President may aggrandize his power to act aggressively in international affairs wihtout considering the wises of Congress

Front 278

agglomeration

Back 278

collection; heap. It took weeks to assort the agglomeration of miscellaneous items she had collected on her trip

Front 279

agenda

Back 279

items of business at a meeting

Front 280

agape

Back 280

openmouthed. She stared, agape, at the many strange animals in the zoo

Front 281

affront

Back 281

insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect. When Mrs. Poudlie was not seated beside te Archdeacon at the head table, she took it as a personal affront and refused to speak to her hosts for a week

Front 282

affluence

Back 282

abundance; wealth. Foreigners are amazed y the affluence and luxuery of the American way of life

Front 283

affliction

Back 283

state of distress; cause of suffering. Even in the midst of her affliction, Elizabeht tried to keep up the spirits of those around her

Front 284

afflix

Back 284

attach or add on; fasten. First the registrar had to affix his signature to the liecense; then he had to affix his official seat

Front 285

affirmation

Back 285

positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath. Despite Tom's affirmations of innocence, Aunt Polly still suspected he had eaten the pie

Front 286

affiliation

Back 286

joining; associating with. His affiliation with the political party was of short duration for he soon disagreed with his colleagues.

Front 287

affidavit

Back 287

written statement made under oath. The court refused to accept her statement unless she presented it in the form of an affidavit

Front 288

affected

Back 288

artificia; pretended; assumed in order to impress. His affected mannerism-his 'harvard ' accents his air of bordom, his use of obsecure foreign words bugged us; he acted as if he thought he was too good for his old high school friends. affectation N

Front 289

affable

Back 289

easily approchable; warmly friendly. Accustomed to cold, aloof supervisors, Nicky was amazed at how affable his new employer was. affability N

Front 290

aesthetic

Back 290

artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful. The beatuy of Tiffany's stained glass apppealed to Alice's aesthetic sense. aesthete N

Front 291

aegis

Back 291

nest of large bird of prey (eagle, hawk) the mother eagle swooped down on the rabbit and bore it off to her aere high in the Rocky mountains

Front 292

eagis

Back 292

shield; defense. Under the aegis of the Bill of Rights, we enjoy our most treasured freedoms

Front 293

advocate

Back 293

urge; plead for. The abolitionsists advocated freedom for the slaves.

Front 294

advocacy

Back 294

support; active pleading on behalf of someone or something. No threats could dissuade BIshop Desmond Tutu from his advocacy of the human rights of black south africans

Front 295

advert

Back 295

refer (to). Since you advert to this matter so frequently, you must regard it as important

Front 296

adversity

Back 296

poverty; misfortune. We must larn to meet adversity gracefully

Front 297

adverse

Back 297

unfavorable; hostile. The recession had a highly adverse effect on Father's investment portfolio he lost so much money that he could no longer afford the butler and the upstairs maid

Front 298

adversary

Back 298

opponent; enmy. Batman struggled to save Gotham City from the machinations of his wicked adversary, the Joker

Front 299

adventitious

Back 299

accidental;coincident, casual. She found this adventitious meeting with her friend extremely fortunate

Front 300

advent

Back 300

arrival. Most Americans were unaware of the advent of the NUclear Age until the news of HIroshima reached them

Front 301

adulterate

Back 301

make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances. It is a crime to adulterate foods without informing the buyer

Front 302

adulation

Back 302

flattery; admiration. The rock star thrived on the adulation of his groupies and yes man. adulate v

Front 303

adroit

Back 303

skillfu;. Her adoit handling of the delicate situation pleased her employers

Front 304

adorn

Back 304

decorate; wall paintings and carved statues adorned the temple. adornment N

Front 305

admonish

Back 305

warn; reprove. When her courtiers questioned her religious beliefs, Mary Stuart admonished them, declaring that she would worship as she pleased

Front 306

adjutant

Back 306

staff officer assisting the commander; assistant. Though Wellington delegated many tasks to his chief adjutant, Lord Fitzroy Somerset, Somerset was in no doubt as to who made all major decisions

Front 307

adjunct

Back 307

something (generally nonessential or inferior) added on or attached. Although i don't absolutely need a second computer, I plan to buy a laptop to serve as an adjunct to my desktop model

Front 308

adjacent

Back 308

adjoining; neighboring; close by. Philip's best friend Jason lived only four horuses down the block, near but not immediately adjacent

Front 309

adherent

Back 309

supporter; follower. In the wake of the scandal, the senator's one time adherents quietly deserted him

Front 310

adhere

Back 310

stick fast. I will adhere to this opinion until proof that I am wrong is presented. adhesion n. adherence N

Front 311

adept

Back 311

expert at. She was adept at the fine art of irritating people

Front 312

address

Back 312

direct a speech to; deal with or discuss. Due to address the convetion in July, Brown planned to address the issue of low-income housing in his speech

Front 313

addle

Back 313

muddle; drive crazy; become rotten. This idiotic plan is conusinng enough to addle anone. addled adj

Front 314

addiction

Back 314

compulsive, habitual need. His addiction to drugs caused his friends much grief

Front 315

addendum

Back 315

addition; appendix to book. Hane's editior approved her new comparative literature text but thought it would be even better with an addendum on recent developments in literary criticism

Front 316

adapt

Back 316

alter; modify. Some species of animals have become extinct because they could not adapt to a changing environment

Front 317

adament

Back 317

hard; inflexxible. In this movie Bronson played the part of a revenge driven man, adamant in his determination to punish the criminals who destroyed his family

Front 318

adage

Back 318

wise saying; proverb. There is much truth in teh old adage about fools and their money

Front 319

acute

Back 319

quickly perceptive; keen; brief and sever. The acute young doctor realized immeidatley that theg radual deterioration of her patient's once acute hearing was due to a crhonic illness. not an acute one

Front 320

acumen

Back 320

mental keenness. Her busines acumen helped her to succeed where others had failed

Front 321

acuity

Back 321

sharpness. In time his youhful acuity of vision failed him, and he needed glasses

Front 322

actuate

Back 322

motivate. I fail to understand what actuated you to reply to this letter so nastily

Front 323

actuarial

Back 323

calculating, pertaining to insurance statistics. According to recent actuarial tables, life expectancy is greater today than it was a century ago

Front 324

acrophobia

Back 324

fear of heights. A born salesman, he could convince someone with a bad case of acrophobia to sign up for a life membership in a sky-diving club

Front 325

acrimonious

Back 325

bitter in words or manner. The cadidate attacked his opponent in highly acrimonious terms. acrimony N

Front 326

acrid

Back 326

sharp; bitterly; pungent. The acrid odor of burnt gunpowder filled the room after the pistol had been fired

Front 327

acquittal

Back 327

deliverance from a charge. His acquittal by the jury surprised those who had thought him guilty. acquit v

Front 328

acquiesce

Back 328

assent; agree passively. Although she appeared to acquiesce to her employer's suggestion, I could tell she had reserations about the changes he wanted made. acquiescnece N acquiescent adj

Front 329

acoustics

Back 329

science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in. Carnegie Hall is liked by music lovers because of its fine acoustics

Front 330

acme

Back 330

peak; pinnacle; highest point. Welles's success in Citizen Kane marked the acme of his career as an actor; never again did he achive such popular acclaim

Front 331

acknowledge

Back 331

recognize; admit.

Front 332

acidulous

Back 332

slightly sour. sharp; caustic. James was unpopular because of his sarcastic and acidulous remarks

Front 333

acetic

Back 333

vinegary. The salad had an exceedingly acetic flavor

Front 334

accrue

Back 334

come about by addition. you must pay the interest that has accrued on your debt as well as the principal sum. accrual N

Front 335

accretion

Back 335

growth; increase. Over the years Bob put on weight; because of this accretion of flesh, he went from size M to size XL. accrete v

Front 336

accoutre

Back 336

equip. The fisherman was accoutred with the best that the sporting goods store could supply. accoutrement n

Front 337

accost

Back 337

approach and speak first to a person. When the two young men accosted me, I was frightened because I thought they were going to attack me

Front 338

accord

Back 338

agreement. she was in complete accord with the verdict

Front 339

accomplice

Back 339

partner in crime. Because he had provided the criminal with the lethal weapon, he was arrested as an accomplice in the murder

Front 340

accommodate

Back 340

oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt

Front 341

acclivity

Back 341

sharp upslope of a hill. The car could not go up the acclivityin high gear

Front 342

acclimate

Back 342

adjust to climate or environment.;adapt.. One of the difficulties of our present air age is the need of travelers to acclimate themselves to their new and often strange enviornments

Front 343

acclaim

Back 343

applaud; announce with great approval. The sportscasters acclaimed every American victory in the Olympics and decried every American defea. acclamation. n

Front 344

accessory

Back 344

additional object; useful but not essential thing. Seh bought an attractive handbag as an accessory for her dress.

Front 345

accessible

Back 345

easy to approach; obtainable

Front 346

accelerate

Back 346

move faster

Front 347

accede

Back 347

agree. If I accede to this demand for black mail, I am afraid that I will be the victim of future demands

Front 348

academic

Back 348

related to a schoo; not practical or irectly useful. The dean's talk about reforming academic polices was only an academic discussion; we knew little, if naything would change

Front 349

abyss

Back 349

enormous chasm; vast, bottomless pit. Darth vader seized the vil emperor and hurled him into the abyss

Front 350

abysmal

Back 350

bottomless. His arrogance is exceeded only by his abysmal ignorance

Front 351

abut

Back 351

border upon; adjoin. Where our estates abut, we must build a fence

Front 352

abusive

Back 352

coarsely insulting; physically harmful

Front 353

abstruse

Back 353

obscure; profound; difficult to understand. Baffled by the abstruse philosophical texts assigned in class, Dave asked Lexy to explain Kant's Critique of Pure Reasons

Front 354

abstract

Back 354

theoretica;; not conrete; nonrepresentational. To him, hunger was an abstract concept; he had never missed a meal

Front 355

abstinence

Back 355

restraint from eating or drinking. The doctor recommended total abstinence from salted foods. abstain.v

Front 356

abstemious

Back 356

sparing in eating and drinking; temperate. Concerned whether her vegetarian son's abstemious diet provided him with sufficient protein, the worried mother pressed food on him

Front 357

abstain

Back 357

refrain; withhold from participation. After considering the effect of alcohol on his athletci performance, he decided to abstain from drinkning while he trained for the race

Front 358

absolve

Back 358

pardon (an offense). The father confessor absolved him of his sins. absolution N

Front 359

absolute

Back 359

complete; totally unlimted; certain. Although the King o Siam was an absolute monarch, he did not want to behead his unfaithful wife without absolute evidence of her infidelity

Front 360

abscond

Back 360

depart secretly and hide. The teller who absconded with the bonds went uncaptured until someone recognized him from his photograph on America's most wanted

Front 361

abscission

Back 361

removal by cutting of, as in surgery; separation. Gas gangrene spreads so swiftly and is so potentially deadly that doctors advise abscission of the gangrenous tissue

Front 362

abrogate

Back 362

abolish. The king intended to abrogate the decree issued by his predecessor

Front 363

abridge

Back 363

condense or shorten. Because the publishers felt the public wanted a shorter version of War and Peace, they proceeded to abridge the novel

Front 364

abrasive

Back 364

rubbing away; tending to grind down. Just as abrasive cleaning powders can wear away a shiny finish, abrasive remarks can wear away a listener's patience. abrade v

Front 365

abortive

Back 365

unsuccessful; fruitless. Attacked by armed troops, te Chinese students had to abandon their abortive attempt to democratize Beijing peacefully. abort v

Front 366

aboriginal

Back 366

being the first of its kind in a region, primitive; native. Her studies of the pirmitive art forms of the aboriginal indians were widely reported in the scientific journals. aborigine n

Front 367

abominate

Back 367

loathe; hate. Moses scolded the idol worshippers in the tribe because he abominated the custom

Front 368

abolish

Back 368

cancel; put an end to. The prsident of the college refused to abolish the physical education requirement. abolishion n

Front 369

abnegation

Back 369

renunciation; self-sacrifice. Though Rudolph and Duchess Flavia loved one anther, their love was doomed, for she had to wed the king; their act of abnegation was necessary to preserve the kingdom

Front 370

ablution

Back 370

washing, HIs daily ablutions were accompanied by loud noises that he humorously labeled 'opera in the Bath'

Front 371

abjure

Back 371

renounce upon oath; disavow Pressure from university authorities caused the young scholar to abjure his heretical opinions. abjuration N

Front 372

abject

Back 372

wretched; lacking pride. On the streets of NY the homeless live in abject poverty, huddling in doorways to find shelter from the wind

Front 373

abhor

Back 373

detest; hate. She abhorred all forms of bigotry. abhorrence N

Front 374

abeyance

Back 374

suspended action. The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival

Front 375

abet

Back 375

assist; usually in doing something wrong; encourage. she was unwiling to abet him in thes windle he had planned

Front 376

aberration

Back 376

abnormality; departure from the norm; mental irregularity or disorder. It remains the consensus among investors on Wall Street that current high oil prices are a temporary aberration and that we shall soon see a return to cheap oil

Front 377

aberrant

Back 377

abnormal or deviant. Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment

Front 378

abdicate

Back 378

renounce; give up. When Edward VIII abdicated the BRitish throne, he surprised the entire world

Front 379

abbreviate

Back 379

shorten. Because we were running out of tiem, the lecturer had to abbreviate her speech

Front 380

abate

Back 380

subside or moderate. Rather than leaving immediately, the waited for the storm to abate

Front 381

abash

Back 381

embarrass. He was not at all abasehed by her open admiration

Front 382

abase

Back 382

lower; degrade; humiliate. Anna expected to have to curtsy to the King of Siam; when told to cast herself down on the ground before hi, she refuse to abse herself. abasement N

Front 383

cabal

Back 383

small group of persons escretly united to promote their own interests. The cabal was defeated when its scheme was discovered

Front 384

buxom

Back 384

full-bosomed; plump; jolly. High fashion models usually are slender rather than buxom

Front 385

buttress

Back 385

support; prop up. Just as architects buttress the walls of cathedrals with flying buttresses, debaters buttress their arguments with facts

Front 386

burnish

Back 386

make shiny by rubbing; polish. The maid burnished the brass fixtures until they reflected the lamplight

Front 387

burlesque

Back 387

give an imitation that ridicules. In Galaxy Quest, Alan Rickman burlesques Mr. Spock of Star Trek, outrageously parodying Spock;s unemotional manner and stiff bearing

Front 388

burgeon

Back 388

grow forth; send out buds. In that spring, the plants that burgeon are a promise of the beauty that is to come

Front 389

bureaucracy

Back 389

overregulated administrative system marked by red tape. The internal Revenue Service is the ultimate bureacracy; taxpayers wasted so much paper filling out IRS forms and that the IRS bureaucrats printed up a new set of rules requiring the taxpayers to comply with the paperwork reduction act.

Front 390

bungle

Back 390

mismanage; blunder. Don't botch this assignment, Burnstead; if you bungle the job, you're fired!

Front 391

bulwark

Back 391

earthwork or other strong defense; person whod efends. The navy is our pricncipal bulwark against invasion

Front 392

bullion

Back 392

gold and silver in the form of bars. Much bulion is stored in the vaults at Fort Knox

Front 393

bugaboo

Back 393

bugbear; object of baseless terror. If we become frightened by such bugaboos, we are no wiser than the birds who fear scarecrows.

Front 394

buffoonery

Back 394

clowning. In the Ace Ventura movies, Jim Carrey's buffonery was hilarious; like BOzo the Clown, he's a natural buffoon

Front 395

buffet

Back 395

slap; batter; knwock about. To buffet something is to rough it up. (Buffet rhymes with tray).

Front 396

bucolic

Back 396

rustic; pastoral, countryside. Filled with browsin cows and bleating sheep, th meadow was a charmingly bucolic sight

Front 397

buccaneer

Back 397

pirate. At Disneland the Pirates of the Caribbean sing a song about their lives as bloody buccaneers

Front 398

brusque

Back 398

blunt; abrupt. She was offended by the brusque reply.

Front 399

brunt

Back 399

main impact or shock. Tom Sawyer claimed credit for painting the fence, but the brunt of the work fell on others. HOwever, Tom bore the brunt of Aunt Polly's complaints when the paint began to peel

Front 400

browse

Back 400

gaze; skm or glance at casually. 'HOw now, brownc ow, browsing in the green, green grass."

Front 401

browbeat

Back 401

bully; intimidate. Billy resisted Ted's attempts to browbeat him into handing over his lunch money

Front 402

brook

Back 402

tolerate; endure. The dean would brook no interference with his disciplinary actions (secondary meaning)

Front 403

brooch

Back 403

ornamental clasp. She treasured the brooch becasue it was an heirloom

Front 404

brochure

Back 404

pamphlet. This brochure of farming was issued by the Dept of Agriculture

Front 405

brocade

Back 405

rich; figred fabric. The sofa was covered with expensive brocade

Front 406

broach

Back 406

introduce; open up. Jack did not even try to broach the subject of religion with his in-laws.

Front 407

brittle

Back 407

easily broken; difficult. My employer's brittle personality made it difficult for me to get along with her

Front 408

bristling

Back 408

rising like bristles; showing irritation. The dog stood there, bristling with anger

Front 409

brindled

Back 409

tawny or grayish with streaks or spots. He was disappointed in the litter because the puppies were brindled, h had hoped for animals of a uniform color.

Front 410

brevity

Back 410

conciseness. Brevity is essential wen you send a telegram of cablegram; you are charged for every word

Front 411

breadth

Back 411

width; extent. We were impressed by the breadth of her knowledge

Front 412

breach

Back 412

breaking of contract or duty; fissure or gap. Jill sued Jack for breach of promise, claiming he had broken their engagement

Front 413

brazen

Back 413

insolent; (thick face), bold. Her brazen contempt for authority angered the officials

Front 414

brawn

Back 414

muscular strength; sturdiness. It takes brawn to become a champion weight-lifter. brawny

Front 415

bravado

Back 415

swagger; assumed air of defiance. The bravado of the young criminal disappeared when he was confronted by the victims of his brutal attack.

Front 416

brandish

Back 416

wave around; flousih. Alarmed, doctor Watson widly brandished his gun until Holmes told him to put the thing away before he shot himself.

Front 417

braggart

Back 417

boaster. Modest by nature, she was no braggart, preferrin to let her accomplishments speak for themselves

Front 418

braggadocio

Back 418

boasting. He was disliked because his manner was always full of braggadocio

Front 419

brackish

Back 419

somewhat saline. he found the only wells in the area were brackish; drinking the water made him nauseous

Front 420

boycott

Back 420

refrain from buying or using. To put pressure on grape growers to stop using pesticides that harmed the farm workers' health, Cesar Chavez called for consumers to boycott grapes

Front 421

bowlderize

Back 421

expurgate (erase). After the film editors had bowdlerized the language in the script, the motion picture's rating was changed from 'R' to "PG'

Front 422

bovine

Back 422

cowlike; placid and dull. Nothing excites Esther' even when she won the state lottery, sthe still preserved her air of bovine calm

Front 423

bourgeois

Back 423

middle class; selfishly materialistic; dully conventional. Technically, anyone who belongs to the middle class is bourgeois, but, given the word's connaotations, most people resent it if you call them that

Front 424

bountiful

Back 424

abundant; graciously generous. Thanks to the good harvest, we had a bountiful supply of food and we could be as bountiful as we liked in distributing food to the needy

Front 425

bouillon

Back 425

clear beef soup. The cup of bouillon served by the stewards was welcomed by those who had been chilled by the cold ocean breezes

Front 426

boorish

Back 426

rude; insensitive. Though Mr. Potts constantly interrupted his wife, she ignored his boorish behavior, for she had lost hope of teaching him courtesy

Front 427

boon

Back 427

blessing; benefit. The recent rains that filled our empty reservoirs were a boon to the whole community

Front 428

bombastic

Back 428

pompous; using inflated language. Puffed up with conceit, the orator spoke in such a bombastic manner that we longed to deflate him. bombast.

Front 429

bombardment

Back 429

attack (as with missiles) the enemy bombardment demolished the town. Members of the opposition party bombarded the prime minister with questions about the enemy attack.

Front 430

bolt

Back 430

dash or dart off; fasten (a door); gobble down. Jack was set to bolt out the front door, but Jill bolted the door. 'Eat your breakfast,' she said, 'don't bolt your food'

Front 431

bolt

Back 431

door bar; fastening pin or sccrew; lengthen of fabric. The carpenter shut the workshop door, sliding the heavy metal bolt into place.

Front 432

bolster

Back 432

support; reinforce. The debaters ammassed file boxes full of evidence to bolster their arguments

Front 433

boisterous

Back 433

violent; rough; noisy. The unruly crowd became even more boisterous when he tried to quiet them

Front 434

bohemian

Back 434

unconventional (in an artistic way) Gertrude stein ran off to Paris to live an ecentric, bohemian life style

Front 435

bogus

Back 435

counterfiet; not authentic. The police quickly found the distributors of the bogus 20 dollars bills

Front 436

bode

Back 436

foreshadow; portend. The goomy skies and the sulfurous odors from the mineral springs seemed to bode evil to those who settled in the area

Front 437

bluster

Back 437

blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully. 'Let the stormy winds bluster' cried Jack. 'we'll set sail tongith' Jiill let Jack Bbluster; she wasn't going anywwhere, no matter what he said

Front 438

bluff

Back 438

pretense (of strength); deception; high cliff. Claire thought Jim boast that the would swim the Hellespont was just a bluff

Front 439

bludgeon

Back 439

club; heavy-headed weapon. Attacked by Dr. Moriarty, Holmes used his walking stick as a bludgeon to defend himself. 'Watson' he said. 'I fear I may have bludgeoned MOriarty to death.'

Front 440

blowhard

Back 440

talkative boaster. After all Sol's talk about his big show business connections led nowhere, Sally decided he was just another blowhard

Front 441

blithe

Back 441

carefree and unconcerned (perhaps foolishly so); cheerful and gay. Micawber's blithe optimism that something would turn up proved unfounded, and he wound up in debtors' prison

Front 442

blighted

Back 442

suffering from a disease; destroyed. The extent of the blighted areas could be seen only when viewed from the air

Front 443

bleak

Back 443

cold or cheerless; unliekly to be favorable. In the mid bleak winter

Front 444

blatant

Back 444

extremely obvious; loudly offensive. Caught in a blatant lie, the scoundrel had only one regret' he wished that he had lied more subtly. blatancy N

Front 445

blasphemy

Back 445

irreverence; sacriledge; cursing. In my father's house, the Dodgers were the holieset of holies; to cheer for antoher team was to utter words of blasphemy. blasphemous adj

Front 446

blase

Back 446

bored with pleasure or dissipation. Although Beth was as thrilled with the idea of a trip to Paris as her classmates were, she tried to act supercool and blase, as if she'd been abroad hundreds of times

Front 447

blare

Back 447

loud, harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light. I dunno which is worse; the steady blare of a boom box deafening your ears or a sudden blare of flashbulbs dazzling your eyes

Front 448

blandishment

Back 448

flattery. Despite the salesperson's blandishments, the customer did not buy the outfit

Front 449

blandish

Back 449

cajole; coax with flattery. Despite with all their sweet talking, Lindsay and Paris wre unable to blandish the doorman into leeting them into the exclusive club.

Front 450

bland

Back 450

soothing or mild; agreeable. Jill tried a bland ointment for her sunburn. however, when Jack absenmindedly patted her on the sunburned shoulder, she coudln't maintain her bland personal. blandness N

Front 451

bizarre

Back 451

fantastic; violently contrasting. The plot of the novel was too bizarre to be believed

Front 452

bivouac

Back 452

temporary encampment. While in bivouac, we spent the night in our sleeping bags under the stars

Front 453

billowing

Back 453

swelling out in waves surgin. Standing over the air vent, Marilyn Monroe tried vainly to control her billowing skirts

Front 454

bilk

Back 454

siwindle; cheat. The con man specialized in bilking insurance companies

Front 455

bilious

Back 455

suffering from a liver complaint; peevishly ill humored. If our tummy's feeling biliou, try Carter's Little Liver Pills for fast relief. British linguistic purists regard Americanisms with bilious eye, pouncing on each supposed barbarism viciously

Front 456

bigotry

Back 456

stubborn intolerance. Brough up in a democratic atmosphere, the student was shocked by the bigotry and narrowness expressed by several of his classmates

Front 457

bifurcated

Back 457

divided into two branches; forked. With a bifurcated branch and a piece of ealstic rubber, he made a crude but effective slingshot.

Front 458

biennial

Back 458

every two years. Seeing no need to meet more frequently, the group held biennial meetings. Instead of annual ones.

Front 459

bicker

Back 459

quarrel. The chidren bickered morning, noon and night, exasperating their parents

Front 460

bicameral

Back 460

two chambered, as a legislative body. The United states Congress is a bicameral body

Front 461

bevy

Back 461

large group. The movie actor was surrounded by a bevy of starlets

Front 462

betroth

Back 462

become engaged to marry. The announcement that they had become betrothed surprised their friends who had not suspected any roamnce. betryothal

Front 463

betray

Back 463

be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwilingly). The spy betrayed his country by selling military ecrets to the enemy

Front 464

bestow

Back 464

confer. He wished to bestow great honors upon the hero

Front 465

bestial

Back 465

beastlike; bruta; inhuman. According to legend, the werewolf was able to abandon its human shape and assume a bestial form.

Front 466

besmirch

Back 466

soil; defile. The scandalous remarks in the newspaper besmirch the reputations of every member of the society

Front 467

besiege

Back 467

surround with armed forces; harass (with requests). When the bandits besieged the village, the villagers holed up in the town hall and prepared to withstand a long siege

Front 468

beset

Back 468

harass or trouble; hem in. Many vexing problems beet the American public school system

Front 469

beseech

Back 469

beg; plead with. The workaholic exceutive;s wife beseeched him to spend more time with their son.

Front 470

berserk

Back 470

frenzied. Angered, he went berserk and began to wreck his room

Front 471

bereft

Back 471

deprived of; lacking. The foolish gambler soon found himself bereft of funds

Front 472

bereavement

Back 472

state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved. His friends gathered to console him upon his sudden bereavement

Front 473

berate

Back 473

scold strongly. He feared she would berate him for his forgetfulness

Front 474

bequeath

Back 474

leave to someone by menas of a will; hand down. In his will, father bequeathed his watch to Philip; the bequest meant a great deal to the boy. bequest N

Front 475

bent

Back 475

determined; natura; talent or inclination. Bent on advancing in the business world, the secretary heroine of Working Girl had a true bent for high finance

Front 476

benison

Back 476

blessing. let us pray that the benison of peace once more shall prevail among the nations of the world

Front 477

benign

Back 477

kindly; favorable; not malignant. Though her benign smile and gentle bearing made Miss Marple seema sweet little old lady, in reality she was a tough minded, shrewd observer of human nature. benignity N

Front 478

benevolent

Back 478

generous; charitable. Mr. Fezziwig was a benevolet employer who wished to make Christmas merrier for young Scrooge and his other employees. benevolence N

Front 479

beneficial

Back 479

helpful; useful

Front 480

beneficient

Back 480

kindly; doing good. The overgenerous philantrhopisthad to curb his beneficient impulses before he gave away all his money and left himself with nothing

Front 481

benefactor

Back 481

gift giver; patron. Scrooge later became james's benefactor and gave him gifts

Front 482

benediction

Back 482

blessing. The appearance of the sun after the man rainy days was like a benediction

Front 483

bemused

Back 483

confused; lost in thought; preoccupied. Jill studied the garbled instructions with a bemused look on her face

Front 484

bemoan

Back 484

lament; express disapproval of. GThe widow bemoaned the death of her beloved husband

Front 485

belligerent

Back 485

quarrelsome. Whenever he had too much to dirn, he became belligerent and tried to pick fights with strangers. belligerence N

Front 486

bellicose

Back 486

warlike; pugnacious; naturally inclined to fight. Someone who is spoiling for a fight is by definition bellicose

Front 487

belittle

Back 487

disparage; deprecate. Parentsshould not belittle their children's early attempts at drawing, but should encourage at their efforts

Front 488

belie

Back 488

contradict; give a false impression. his coarse, hard bitten exterior belied his innate sensitivity

Front 489

beleaguer

Back 489

besiege or attack; harrass. The babysitter was surrounded by a crowd of unmanageable brats who relentlessly beleaguered her

Front 490

belated

Back 490

delayed. He apologised for his belated note of condolence to the widow of his friend and explained that he had jsut learned of her husband's untimely death

Front 491

belabor

Back 491

explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail vertablly. The debate coahc warned her student noto bore the audience by belaboring his point

Front 492

behoove

Back 492

be necessary or proper for; be incumbent upon. because the interest of the ruler and the ruled are incompatible, it behooves the ruler to trust no one.

Front 493

behemoth

Back 493

huge creatures; something of monstrous size of power. Sportscasters nicknaed the linebacker 'The behemoth'

Front 494

beguile

Back 494

mislead or dellude; cheat; pass time. With flattery and big talk of easy money, the con men beguiled Kyle into betting his allowance on the shell game

Front 495

begrudge

Back 495

resent. I begrudge every minute I have to psend attending meetings

Front 496

beget

Back 496

father; produce; give rise to. One good turn may deserve another; it does not necessarily beget another

Front 497

befuddle

Back 497

confuse thorougly. His attempts to clarify the situation succeeded only in befuddling her further

Front 498

beeline

Back 498

direct; quick route. As soon as the movie was over, John made a beeline for the exit

Front 499

bedraggle

Back 499

wet thorougly. We were so bedraggled by the severe storm that we had to change into dry clothing.

Front 500

beatitude

Back 500

blessedness; state of bliss. Growing closer to God each day, the mystic achieved a state of indescribable beatitude

Front 501

beatify

Back 501

bless or sanctify; proclaim someone dead to be one of the blessed. In 1996 pope john paul traveled to belgium to beatify father damien, who died in 1889 afte r caring for lepers in hawaii.

Front 502

beatific

Back 502

showing or producing joy; blissful. When Jay first saw the new puppy, a beatific smile spread across his face

Front 503

bawdy

Back 503

indecent; obscene. Jack took offense at Jill's bawdy remarks. What kind of young man did she think he was?

Front 504

bauble

Back 504

trinklet; trifle. The child was delighted with the bauble she had won in the grab bag

Front 505

bate

Back 505

let down; restrain. Until it was time to open the presents, the children had to bate their curiosity. bated ad

Front 506

bastion

Back 506

stronghold; something seen as a source of protection. The villagers fortified the twon hall, hoping this improvised bastion could protect them from the guerrilla raids

Front 507

bask

Back 507

luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth. Basking on the beach, she relaxed so completely that she fell asleep

Front 508

barterer

Back 508

trader. The abrterer exchanged trinkets for the natives' furs

Front 509

barrister

Back 509

counselor-at-law. Falsworthy started as a barrister, but, when he found the practice of law boring, turned to writing

Front 510

barrage

Back 510

barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion. The company was forced to retreat through the barrage of heavy cannons.

Front 511

baroque

Back 511

higly ornate. Accustomed to the severe, angular lines of modern skyscrapers,t hey found the flamboyance of baroque architecture amusing

Front 512

barefaced

Back 512

shameless; bold; unconcealed. Shocked by Huck Finn's barefced lies, Miss Watson prayed the good lord would give him a sense of his unregenerate wickedness

Front 513

bard

Back 513

poet. The ancient bard homer sang of the fall of Troy

Front 514

barb

Back 514

sharp projection from fishhook or other object; openly cutting remark. If you were a politican, which would you prefer, being caught on the barb of a fishhook or being subjected to malicious verbal barbs?

Front 515

bantering

Back 515

good naturedly ridiculing. They rsented his bantering remarks because they misinterpreted his teasing as sarcasm

Front 516

baneful

Back 516

destructive; casuing ruin or death. Anointment seems intended to apply the power of natural and supernatural forces to the sick and thus to ward off the baneful influences of diseases and of demons

Front 517

bane

Back 517

curse; cause of ruin. Lucky's little brother was the bane of her existence, scribbling on walls with her lip stick and pouring her shampoo down the drain

Front 518

bandy

Back 518

discuss lightly or flibly exchange (words) heatedly. While the prsdient was happy to bandy patriotic generalizations with anyone who would listen to him, he refused to bandy words with unfriendly reporters at the press conference

Front 519

banal

Back 519

hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality. The hack writHe even resorted to the banal comic sketch seem banal. He even resorted to the banality of having someone slip on a banana peel!

Front 520

balmy

Back 520

mild ; fragrant. A balmy breeze refreshed us after the sultry blast

Front 521

ballast

Back 521

heavy substance used to add stability or weight. The ship was listing badly to one side; it was necessary to shift the ballast in the hold to get her back on an even keel

Front 522

balk

Back 522

foil. (to stop) When the warden learned that several inmates were planning to escape, he took steps to balk their attempt

Front 523

baleful

Back 523

threatening; menacing; sinister; foreshadowing evil. The bully's baleful glare across the classrom warned tom to expect trouble after school

Front 524

baffle

Back 524

frustrate; perplex. The new code baffled the enemy agents

Front 525

badinage

Back 525

teasing conversation. her friends at work greeted the news of her engagement with cheerful badinage

Front 526

badger

Back 526

pester; annoy. She was forced to change her telephone no. because she was badgered by obscene phone calls

Front 527

bacchanalian

Back 527

drunken. emperor nero attended the bacchanalian orgy

Front 528

azure

Back 528

sky blue. Azure skies are indicative of good weather

Front 529

axiom

Back 529

self-evident truth requiring no proof. The declation of independence records certain self evident truths or axioms, the first of which is 'all men are created equal'.

Front 530

awry

Back 530

distorted; crooked. He held his head awry, giving the impression that he had caught cold in his neck during the night

Front 531

awl

Back 531

pointed tool used for piercing. She used an awl to punch additional holes in the leather belt she had bought

Front 532

awe

Back 532

solemn wonder. The tourists gazed with awe at the tremendous expanse of the Grand canyon

Front 533

cynosure

Back 533

object of general attention. As soon as the movie star entered the room, she became the cynosure of all eyes

Front 534

cynical

Back 534

skeptical or distrustful of human motives. Cynical fom birth, John was suspicious whenever anyone gave him a gift 'with no strings attached.

Front 535

curtail

Back 535

shorten; reduce. When Gabriel asked christina for a date, she said she was really sorry she couldn't go out with him because her mum had ordered her to curtail her social life

Front 536

cursory

Back 536

casual; hastily done. Because a cursory exxamination of the ruins indicates the possibility of arson, we believe the insurance agency should undertake a more extensive investigation of the fire's cause.

Front 537

cursive

Back 537

flowing, running. In normal writing we run our letters together in cursive form; in printing, we separate the letters

Front 538

curmudgeon

Back 538

churlish, miserly individal. Although many regarded him as a curmudgeon, a few of us were aware of the many kindnesses and acts of charity that he secretly performed

Front 539

curator

Back 539

superintendent; manager. The members of the board of trustees of the museum expected the new curator to plan events and exhibits that would make the museum more popular

Front 540

cupidity

Back 540

greed. The defeated people could not satisfy the cupidity of the conquerors, who demanded excessive tribut

Front 541

cumulative

Back 541

growing by addition. Vocabulary-building is a cumulative process; as you go through your flash cards, you will add new words to your vocabulary, one by one

Front 542

cumbersome

Back 542

heavy; hard to manage. She was burdened with cumbersome parcels

Front 543

culvert

Back 543

artificial channel for water. If we bild a culvert under the road at this point; we will reduce the possibility of the road's being flooded during the rainy season

Front 544

culpable

Back 544

deserving blame. Corrupt politicians who condone the activities of the gamblers are equally culpable

Front 545

culmination

Back 545

attainment of highest point. His inauguration as President of the United States marked the culmination of his political career

Front 546

cull

Back 546

pick out; reject. Every month the farmer culls the nonlyain hens from his flock and sells them to the local butcher

Front 547

cullinary

Back 547

relating to cooking. Many chefs attribute their cullinary success to the wise use of spices

Front 548

cuisine

Back 548

style of cooking.

Front 549

cubicle

Back 549

small chamber used for sleeping.

Front 550

cryptic

Back 550

mysterious; hiden; secret. Thoroughly baffled by holme's cryptic remarks, waltson wondered whether holmes was intentionally concealing his thoughts about the crime

Front 551

crypt

Back 551

secret recess or vault usually used for burial. Until recently only bodies of rulers and leading statemens were interred in this crypt

Front 552

crux

Back 552

essential or main point. This is the crux of the entire problem; everything centers on its being resolved. Crucial adj

Front 553

crotchety

Back 553

eccentric; whimsical. Although he was reputed to be a crotchety old gentleman, i found his ideas substantially sound and sensible

Front 554

crone

Back 554

hag. The toothless crone firghtened us whenshe smiled

Front 555

criteria

Back 555

standards used in judging

Front 556

cringe

Back 556

shrink back, as if in fear. The dog cringed expecting a blow.

Front 557

crevice

Back 557

crack; fissure. The mountain climbers found tootholds in the tiny creices in the mountainside

Front 558

crestfallen

Back 558

dejected; dispirited. We were surprised at his reaction to the failure of his project; instead of being crestfalln, he was busily engaged in planning new activities.

Front 559

crescendo

Back 559

increase in the volume or intensity, as in a musical passage; climax

Front 560

creed

Back 560

system of religious or ethical belief. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed

Front 561

credulity

Back 561

belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete. Con artists take advantage of the credulity of inexperienced investors to swindle them out of their saving. credulous adj

Front 562

credo

Back 562

creed. Just two months before his death, as he talked about life with some friends, the writer Jack London proclaimed his credo. 'the proper function of man is to live, not to exist. i shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. i shall use my time.'

Front 563

countermand

Back 563

cancel; revoke. The general countermanded the orders issued in his absence

Front 564

countenance

Back 564

face. When Jose saw his newborn daughter, a proud smile spread across his countenance

Front 565

countenance

Back 565

approve; tolerate. Miss Manners refused to countenance such rude behavior on their part

Front 566

coterie

Back 566

group that meets socially; select circle. After his book had been published, he was invited to join the literary coterie that lunched daily at the hotel

Front 567

cosmic

Back 567

pertaining to the universe; vast. Cosmic rays derive their name from the fact that they bombard the earth's atmosphere from outer space. cosmos n

Front 568

corrugated

Back 568

wrinkled; ridged. Crack open the rough shell of the walnut and you will find within it a ridged and corrugated edible seed or nut

Front 569

corrosive

Back 569

eating away by chemicals or disease. Stainless steel is able to withstand the effets of corrosive chemicals

Front 570

corrode

Back 570

destroy by chemical action. The girders supporting the bridge corroded so gradually that no one suspected any danger until the bridge suddenly collapsed. corrosion N

Front 571

corroborate

Back 571

confirm; support. Though Huck was quite willing to corroborate Tom's story, Aunt Polly knew better than to believe either of them.

Front 572

correlation

Back 572

mutual relationship. He sought to determine the correlation that existed between ablity in algebra and ability to interpret reading exercises. correlate

Front 573

corpulent

Back 573

very fat. The corpulent ma resolved to reduce. corpulence N

Front 574

corporeal

Back 574

bodily; material. The doctor had no patience with spiritual matters; hi job was to attend to his patient's corporeal problems; not to minister to their souls

Front 575

corollary

Back 575

consequence; accompaniment. Brotherly love is a complex emotion, with sibling rivalry its natural corollary.

Front 576

cornucopia

Back 576

horn overflowing with fruit and grain; symbol of abundance. The encyclopedia salesman claimed the new edition was a veritable cornucopia of information, an inexhaustible source of knowledge for the entire family.

Front 577

cornice

Back 577

projecting molding on building (usually above columns) Because the stones forming the cornice had been loosened by the storms, the police closed the building until repairs could be made

Front 578

cordon

Back 578

extended line of men or fortifications to prevent access or egress. The police cordon was so tight that the criminals could not leave the area

Front 579

cordial

Back 579

gracious; heartfel. Our hosts greeted us at the airport with a cordial welcome and a hearty hug

Front 580

coquette

Back 580

flirt. Because she refused to give him an answer to his proposal of marriage, he called her a coquette

Front 581

copious

Back 581

plentiful. She had copious reasons for rejecting the proposal

Front 582

convoluted

Back 582

coiled around; involved; intrictate. His argument was so convoluted that few of us could follow it intelligently

Front 583

convoke

Back 583

call togehter. Congress was convoked at the outbreak of the emrgency. convocation N

Front 584

convivial

Back 584

festive; gay; characterized by joviality. The convivial celebrators of the victory sang their college songs

Front 585

conviction

Back 585

judgment that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief. Even her convition for murder did not shake Lord Peter's conviction that Harriet was innocent of the crime

Front 586

conveyance

Back 586

vehicle; transfer. During the transit strike, commuters used various kinds of conveyances.

Front 587

convex

Back 587

curving outward. She polished the convex lens of her telescope

Front 588

convert

Back 588

one who has adopted a diffeerent religion or opinion. ON his trip to Japan, though the president spoke at length about the merits of American automobiles, he made few converts to his beliefs

Front 589

converse

Back 589

opposite. The inevitable converse of peace is not war but annihilation

Front 590

conversant

Back 590

familiar with. In this age of specialization, someone reasonably conversant with modern French literature may be wholly unacquinted with the novels of Latin America and Spain

Front 591

converge

Back 591

approach; tend to meet; come together. African American men from all over the United states converged on Washington to take part in the historic Million Man March, convergence

Front 592

conventional

Back 592

ordinary; typical. His conventional upbringing left him wholly unprepared for his wife's ecentric family

Front 593

convention

Back 593

social or moral custom; established practice. Flying in the face of convention, George Sand shocked her contemporaries by taking lovers and wearing men's clothes

Front 594

convene

Back 594

assemble. Because much needed legislation had to be enacted, the governor ordered the legislature to convene in special session by Jan 15.

Front 595

conundrum

Back 595

riddle; difficult problem. During the long car ride, she invented conundrums to entertain the children

Front 596

contusion

Back 596

bruise. Black and blue after her fall, Sue was treated for contusions and abrasions

Front 597

contumacious

Back 597

disobedient; resisting authority. The contumacious mob shouted defiantly at the police. contumacy N

Front 598

controvert

Back 598

oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict. The witness's testimony was so clear and her reputation for honesty so well established that the defense attorney decided it was wiser to make no attempt to controvert what she said

Front 599

contrived

Back 599

forced; artificial; not spontaneous. Feeling ill at ease with his new inlaws, James made a few contrived attempts at conversation and then reteated into silence

Front 600

contrite

Back 600

penitent. Her contrite tears did not influence the judge when he imposed sentence. contrition N

Front 601

contravene

Back 601

contradict; oppose; infringe on or trasgress. Mr. barrett did not expect his frail daughte Elizabeth to contravene his will by eloping with Robert Browning

Front 602

contraband

Back 602

illegal trade; smuggling; smuggled goods. The coast Guard trieds to prevent contraband in US waters.

Front 603

contortions

Back 603

twistings; distortions. As the effects of the opiate wore away, the contortions of the patient became mer violent and demonstrated how much pain she was enduring

Front 604

contingent

Back 604

group that makes up part of agathering. The NY contingent of delegates at the Democratic National Convention was a boisterous, sometimes rowdy lot.

Front 605

contingent

Back 605

dependent on; conditional. Cher's father informed her that nay increase in her allowance was contingent on the quality of her final grades. contingency. N

Front 606

continence

Back 606

self-restraint; sexual chastity. At the convent, Connie vowed to lead a lie of continence. The question was, could Connie be content with alwas being continent?

Front 607

contiguous

Back 607

adjacent to; touching upon. The two countries are contiguous for a few miles; then they are separated by the gulf

Front 608

context

Back 608

writings preceding and following the passage quoted

Front 609

contest

Back 609

dispute. The defeated candidate attempted to contest the election results

Front 610

contentious

Back 610

quarrelsome. Disagreeing violently with the referees' ruling, the coach became so contentious that the referees threw him out of the game

Front 611

contention

Back 611

claim; thesis. It is our contention that, if you follow our tactics, you will boost your score on the GRE. contend v

Front 612

contend

Back 612

struggle; complete; assert earnestly. In Revolt of the Black Athelete, sociologist harry edwards contends that young black atheletes have been exploited by some college recuiters. contention N

Front 613

contempt

Back 613

scorn; disdain. The heavyweight boxer looked on ordinary people with contempt, scorning them as weaklings who couldn't hurt a fly

Front 614

contaminate

Back 614

pollute

Front 615

contagion

Back 615

infection

Front 616

consummate

Back 616

wholly without flaw; supremely skilled; complete and utter. Free of her fauther's autocratic rule, safely married to the man she loved, Elizabeth Barret felt consummate happiness

Front 617

construe

Back 617

explain; interpret. If I construe your remarks corrrectly, you disagree with the theory already advanced

Front 618

constraint

Back 618

compulsion; repression of feelings. There was a feeling of constraint in the room because no one dared to criticize the speaker. constrain v

Front 619

constituent

Back 619

supporter. The congressman received hundreds of letters from angry constituents after the Equal Rights Amendment failed to pass

Front 620

consort

Back 620

husband or wife The search for a consort for the young queen victoria ended happily

Front 621

conspiracy

Back 621

treacherous plot. Brutus and Cassius joined in the conspiracy to kill Julius Caesar

Front 622

consort

Back 622

associate with. We frequentl judge people by the company with whom they consort

Front 623

consonance

Back 623

harmony; agreement. Her agitation seemed out of consonance with her usua calm.

Front 624

consolidation

Back 624

unification; process of becoming firmer or stronger. The recent consolidation of several small airlinesinto one major company has left observers of the industry wondering whether room still exists for the 'little guy' in aviation. consolidate v

Front 625

console

Back 625

lessen sadness or disappointment; give comfort. When her father died, marius did his best to console Cosette, consolation n

Front 626

consistency

Back 626

absence of contradictions; dependability; uniformity; degree of thickness. HOlmes judge puddings and explanations on their consistency; he liekd his puddings without lumps and his explanations without improbabilities

Front 627

consign

Back 627

deliver officially; entrust; set apart. The court consigned the child to her paternal grandmother's care. consignment N

Front 628

conservatory

Back 628

school of the fine arts (especially music or drama). A gifted violinist, mary was selected to study at the conservatory

Front 629

consequential

Back 629

pompous; self-important. Convinced of his own importance, the actor strutted about the dressing room with a consequential air

Front 630

consensus

Back 630

general agreement; opinoin reached by a group as a whole.

Front 631

consecrate

Back 631

dedicate; sanctify. In 1804, Napoleon forced Pope pius VII to come to paris to consecrate him as empoeror, only to humiliate pius at the last minute by taking the crown from the pope's hands and crowning himself

Front 632

conscript

Back 632

draftee; person forced into military service. Did Rambo volunteer to fight in Vietnam, or was he a conscript, drafted against his will

Front 633

conscientious

Back 633

scrupulou; careful. A conscientious editor, she checked every definition for its accuracy

Front 634

consanguinity

Back 634

kinship. Wanting to be rid of yet another wife, Henry VIII sought a divorce on the grounds of consanguinity, claiming their blood relationship was improperly close

Front 635

connubial

Back 635

pertaining to marriage or the matrimonial state. In his telegram, he wished the newly weds a life time of connubial bliss

Front 636

connotation

Back 636

suggested or implied meaning of an expression. Foreigners frequently are unaware of the connotations of the words they use

Front 637

connoisseur

Back 637

person compettent to act as a judge of art, a lover of an art. Bernard Berenson, the American art critic and connoisseur of Italian art, was hired by wealthy art lovers to selet paintings for their collections

Front 638

connivance

Back 638

pretense of ignorance of something wrong; asisstance; permission to offend. With the connivance of his friends, he plotted to embarrass the teacher. connive v

Front 639

conjure

Back 639

summon a devil; practice magicl imagine or invent. Sorcerers conjure devils to appear. Magicians conjure white rabbits out of hats

Front 640

conjugal

Back 640

pertaining to marriage. John and Brenda's dreams of conjugal bliss were shattered as soon as their temperaments clashed

Front 641

conjecture

Back 641

infer on the basis of insufficient data; surmise; guess. In the absence of any eyewitness reports, we can only conjecture wat happened in the locked room on the night of the 13th.

Front 642

conifer

Back 642

pine tree; cone-bearing tree. According to geologists, the conifers were the first plants to bear flowers

Front 643

congruent

Back 643

in agreement; corresponding. In formulating a hypothesis, we must keep it congruent with what we know of the real world it cannot disagree with our experience

Front 644

congruence

Back 644

correspondence of parts; harmonious relationship. The student demonstrated the congruence of the two triangles by using the hypotenuse leg theorem

Front 645

conglomeration

Back 645

mass of material sticking together. In such a conglomeration of miscellaneous sttistics, it was impossible to find a single area of analysis.

Front 646

congential

Back 646

existing at birth. Doctors are able to cure some congential deformiteis such as cleft palates by performing operations on infants

Front 647

congenial

Back 647

pleasant; friendly. My father loved to go out for a meal with congenial companions

Front 648

congeal

Back 648

freeze; coagulate. His blood congealed in his veins as he saw the dread monster rush toward him

Front 649

confound

Back 649

confuse; puzzle. No mystery could confound Sherlock Holmes for long

Front 650

conformity

Back 650

harmony; agreement. In conformity with our rules and reuglations, i am calling a meeting of our organization

Front 651

confluence

Back 651

flowing together; crowd. Theybuilt the city at the confluence of two rivers

Front 652

conflate

Back 652

meld or fuse; confuse; combine into one. In his painting White Crucifixion, which depicts German Jews terrorized by a Nazi mob, Chagall conflates Jewish and Chritian symbols, portraying the crucified Christ wrapped in a tallith, a jewish prayer shawl.

Front 653

conflagration

Back 653

great fire. In the conflagration that followed the 1906 earthquake, much of San Francisco was destroyed

Front 654

confiscate

Back 654

seize; commandeer. The army confiscated all available supplies of uranium

Front 655

confine

Back 655

shut in; restrict. The terrorists had confined their prisoner in a small room. However, they had not chained him to the wall or done anything else to confien his movements. confinement N

Front 656

confidant

Back 656

trusted friend. He had no confidants with whom he could discuss his problems at home

Front 657

conduit

Back 657

aqueduct; passageway for fluids. Water was brought to the army in the desert by an improvised conduit from the adjoining mountain

Front 658

conducive

Back 658

helpful; conributive. Rest and proper diet are conducisve to good health

Front 659

condone

Back 659

overlook; forgive; give tactic approval; excuse. Unlike Widow Douglass, who condoned HUck's minor offenses, Miss Watson did nothing but scold

Front 660

condole

Back 660

express sympathetic sorrow. His friends gathered to condole with him over his loss. condolence

Front 661

condiment

Back 661

food seasoning; spice. Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.

Front 662

condign

Back 662

appropriate; deserved (almost always, in the sense of deservedly sever, as in condign punishment).

Front 663

condescend

Back 663

bestow courtesies with a superior air

Front 664

concurrent

Back 664

happening at the same time. In America, the colonists were resiting the demands of teh mother contry; at the concurrent moment in France, the middle class was sowing the seeds of rebellion

Front 665

concur

Back 665

agree. Did you concur with the decision of the court or did you find it unfair?

Front 666

concord

Back 666

harmony. watching tweedledum and tweedledee battle, alice wondered why the two brothers could not manage to live in concord

Front 667

concomitant

Back 667

that which accompanies. A decrease of gastric juice secretion may be a congential abnormality of a concomitatn of advanced age

Front 668

conclusive

Back 668

decisive; ending all debate.

Front 669

conclave

Back 669

private meeting. He was prsent at all their conclaves as an unofficial observer

Front 670

conciliatory

Back 670

reconciling; soothing. She was still angry despite his concilliatory words. concilliate v

Front 671

concession

Back 671

an act of yielding. BEfore they coudl reach an agreement, boths dies had to make certain concessions.

Front 672

concerted

Back 672

mutually agreed on; done together. ALl the Girl scouts made a concerted effort to raise funds for their annual outing

Front 673

conception

Back 673

beginning; forming of an idea. At the first conception of the work, he was consulted. conceive

Front 674

concentric

Back 674

having a common center. The target was made of concentric circles

Front 675

conceit

Back 675

vanity of self-love; whimsical idea; extravagant metaphor. Although Jack was smug and puffed up with conceit, he was an entertaining companion, always expressing himself in amusing conceits and witty turns of phrase.

Front 676

concede

Back 676

admit; yield. Despite all the evidence Monica had assembled, Mark refused to concede that she was right

Front 677

concave

Back 677

hollow. The back-packersfound aprtial shelter from the storm by huddiling against the concave wall of the cliff

Front 678

concatenate

Back 678

link as in a chain. It is difficult to understand how these events could concatenate as they did without outside assistance

Front 679

compute

Back 679

reckon; calculate. He failed to compute the interest, so his bank balance was not accurate.

Front 680

compunction

Back 680

remorse. The judge was especially severe in his sentecning because he felt that the criminal had shown no compunction for his heinous crime

Front 681

compromise

Back 681

adjust or settle by making mutual concessions; endanger the intersts or reputation of.

Front 682

comprise

Back 682

include; consist of. If the District of Columbia were to be granted statehood, the UNited States of America would comprise fifty-oene states, not just fifty

Front 683

compress

Back 683

squeeze or press together; make more compact Miss Watson compressed her lips in disapproval as she noted the bedraggled state of Huck's clothes

Front 684

comprehensive

Back 684

thorough; inclusive. This book provides a comprehensive review of verbal and math skills for the GRE

Front 685

composure

Back 685

element; ingredient. Even the latest work crisis failed to shake her composure.

Front 686

component

Back 686

elemnt; ingredient

Front 687

complicity

Back 687

involvement in a crime; participation. QUeen Mary's marriage to Lord Darnley, her suspected complicity in his murder, and her hasty marriage to the earl of Bothwelll stirred the Protestant lords to revolt

Front 688

compliant

Back 688

yielding; conforming to requirements. Because Joe usually gave in and went along with whatever his friends desired, his mother worried that he might be too compliant

Front 689

compliance

Back 689

readiness to yield; conformity in fulfilling requirements.

Front 690

complementary

Back 690

serving to complete something. Jon and lexy's skills are complemntary; he's good at following a dialy routine, while she's great at improvising and handling emergenices. Together, they make a great team

Front 691

complaisant

Back 691

trying to please; overly polite; obligating. Fearing that the king might become enraged if his will were thwarted, the complaisant Parliament recognized Henry VIII as king of Ireland. Soemone complaisant is not smug or complacent; he yields to others because he has an excessive need to please

Front 692

complacency

Back 692

self-satisfaciton; smugness. Full of complacency about his latest victories, he looked smugly at the row of trophies on his mantelpiece. complacent adj

Front 693

compile

Back 693

assemble; gather; accumulate. We planned to compile a list of the words most frequently used on the GRE

Front 694

compilation

Back 694

listing of statistical information in tabular or book form. The compilation of available scholarships serves a very valuable purpose

Front 695

compensatory

Back 695

making up for; repaying. Can a compensatory education program make up for the inadequate schooling he received in earlier years?

Front 696

compendium

Back 696

brief, comprehensive summary. This text can serve as a compendium of the tremendous amount of new material being developed in this field.

Front 697

compelling

Back 697

overpowering; irresistible in effect. The prosecutor presented a well-reasoned case, but the defense attorney's compelling arguments for leniency won over the jury

Front 698

compelling

Back 698

overpowering; irresistible in effect. The prosecutor presented a well-reasoned case, but the defense attorney's compelling arguments for leniency won over the jury

Front 699

compatible

Back 699

harmonious; in harmony with. They were compatible neighbors, never quarreling over unimportant matters. compatibility N

Front 700

compact

Back 700

agreement; contract. THe signers of the Mayflower Compact were establishing a form of government

Front 701

communal

Back 701

held in cmmon; a group of people. When they were divorced, they had trouble dividng their communal property

Front 702

commodious

Back 702

spacious and comfortable. After sleeping in small roadside cabins, they found their hotel suite commodious

Front 703

commiserate

Back 703

feel or express pity or sympathy for. Her friends commiserated th the widow.

Front 704

commensurate

Back 704

corresponding in extent, degree acmount; proportionate. By the close of WWII much progress had been made in assigning nurses rank and responsibilities commensurate with thrie training and abilities

Front 705

commemorative

Back 705

remembering; honoring. The new commemorative stamp honors the late Martin Luther King Jr

Front 706

commandeer

Back 706

to draft for military purposes; to take for public use. The policeman commandeered the first car that approached and ordered the driver to go to the nearest hospital

Front 707

comity

Back 707

courtesy; civility. A spirit of comity should exist among nations

Front 708

comeuppance

Back 708

rebuke; deserts. After his earlier rudeness, we were delighted to see him get his comeuppance

Front 709

comestible

Back 709

something fit to be eaten. The roast turkey and other comestibles, the wines, and theexceelent service made this Thanksgiving dinner particularly memorable

Front 710

comely

Back 710

attractive; agreeable. I would rather have a poor and comely wife than a rich and homely one.

Front 711

combustible

Back 711

easily burned. After the recent outbreak of fires in private homes, the fire commissioner ordered that lal combustible materials be kept in safe containers.

Front 712

comatose

Back 712

in a coma; extremely sleepy. the longwinded orator soon had his audience in a comatose state

Front 713

combustile

Back 713

easily burned. After the recent outbreak of fires in private homes, the fire commissioner ordered that all combustile materials be kept in safe containers

Front 714

comatose

Back 714

in a coma; extremely sleepy. the longwinded orator soon had his audience in a comatose state

Front 715

colossus

Back 715

gigantic statue. The legendary Colossus of Rhodes, a bronze statue of the sun god that dominated the harbor of the Gek seaport, was one of the Seven Wonders of the World

Front 716

colossal

Back 716

huge. Radio City Music Hall has a colossal stage

Front 717

collusion

Back 717

conspiring in a fraudulent scheme. The swindlers were found guilty of cullusion

Front 718

colloquy

Back 718

informal discussion. While a colloquium often is a formal seminar or conference, a colloquy traditionally is merely a conversational exchange

Front 719

colloquial

Back 719

pertaining to conversational or common speech; informal. Some of the new colloquial reading passages on standardized tests have a conversational tone intended to make them more appealing to test-takers.

Front 720

collation

Back 720

a light meal. Tea sandwiches and cookies were offered at the collation

Front 721

collateral

Back 721

security given for loan. The sum you wish to borrow

Front 722

collate

Back 722

examine in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order. They collated the newly found manuscripts to determine their age

Front 723

collage

Back 723

work of art put together from fragments. Scrapes of cloth, paper doillies, and old photographs all went into her collage

Front 724

collaborate

Back 724

work together. Two writers collaborated in preparing this book

Front 725

colander

Back 725

utensil with perforated bottom used for straining. Before serving the spaghetti, place it in a colander to drain it

Front 726

coincidence

Back 726

the chance occurrence, at the same time, of two or more seemingly connected events. Was it just a coincidence that JOhn and she had met at the market for three days running, or was he deliberately trying to seek her out?

Front 727

coin

Back 727

make coins; invent or fabricate. Mints coin good money; counterfeiters coin fakes. Slanderedrs coin nasty rumors; writer coin words

Front 728

coiffure

Back 728

hairstyle. You can make a statement with your choice of coiffure; in the 60s many African Americans affirmed their acial heritage by wearing their hair in Afros.

Front 729

cohorts

Back 729

armed band. Caesar and his Roamn cohorts conquered almost all of the known world

Front 730

cohesion

Back 730

tendenc to keep together. A firm believer in the maxim 'DIvide and conquer' the emperor, b lies and trickery, sought to disrupt the cohesion of the free nations

Front 731

cohere

Back 731

stick together/ Solids have a greater tendency to cohere than liquids

Front 732

cohabit

Back 732

live together. Many unwed couples who cohabit peacefully for years wind up fighting night and day once they marry

Front 733

cognizance

Back 733

knowledge. DUring the election campagin, the two candidates were keptin full cognizance of te international situation

Front 734

cognate

Back 734

related lingusitically; allied by bood; similar or akin in nature. The English word mother is cognate to the Latin word mater, whose influence is visible in the words 'maternal' and 'maternity'

Front 735

cogitate

Back 735

think over; Cogitate on this problem; the soluion will come

Front 736

cogent

Back 736

convincing. It was inevitable that David chose to go to Harvard; he had severa; cogent reasons for doing so, including a full-tuition scholarship Katya argued her case with such cogency that the jury had to decide in favor of her client

Front 737

cog

Back 737

tooth projecting from a wheel. A bicycle chain moves through a serioes of cogs in order to propel the bike

Front 738

coeval

Back 738

living at the same time as; contemporary; Coeval with the dinosaur, the pterodactyl flourished during the Mesozoic era.

Front 739

coercion

Back 739

use of force to get someone to obey. The inquisitors used both physical and psychological coercision to force Joan of Arc to recant her assertions that her visiosn were sent by God. coerce v

Front 740

codify

Back 740

arrange (laws, rules) as a code; classify. We need to take the varying rules and regulations of the different health agencies and codify them into a national health code

Front 741

codicil

Back 741

supplement to the body of a will. Miss Havisham kept her lawyers busy drawing up codicils to her already complicated will

Front 742

coddle

Back 742

treat gently; pamper. Don't coddle the children so much, they need a taste of discipline

Front 743

coda

Back 743

concluding section of a musical or literary composition; something that rounds out, summarizes, or concludes. The piece concuded wiht a distinctive coda that strikingly broguht together various motifs.

Front 744

coalition

Back 744

partnership; league; union. The Trainbow Coalition united people of all races in a common cause

Front 745

coalesce

Back 745

combine; fuse; the brooks coalesce into one large river.

Front 746

coagulate

Back 746

thicken; congea; clot. Even after you remove the pudding from the burner, it will continueto coagulate as it stands. coagulant

Front 747

cloying

Back 747

distasteful (Because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental. Disliking the cloying sweetness of standard wedding cakes, Jody and Tom chose a homemade carrot cake for their reception. cloy v

Front 748

clout

Back 748

great influence (especially political or social) Gatsy wondered whether he had enough clout to be admitted to the exclusive club

Front 749

cloister

Back 749

monatstery or convent. The nuns lived in the cloister

Front 750

clime

Back 750

region; climate. His doctor advised him to move to a milder clime.

Front 751

clique

Back 751

smalle exclusive group. Fitzgerald wished that he belonged to the clique to popular atheltes and big men on campus who seemed to run Princeton's social life

Front 752

climatctic

Back 752

relating the the highest point.

Front 753

clientele

Back 753

body of customers. The rock clubattracted a young, stylish clientele

Front 754

cliche

Back 754

phrase dulled in meaning by repetition. High school compositions are often marred by such cliches as strong as an ox

Front 755

clemency

Back 755

disposition to be lenient; mildness, as of the weather. Why did the defense lawyer look pleased when his case was sent to Judge Bland's chambers? Bland was noted for her clemency to first offenders

Front 756

cleft

Back 756

split. Trying for a fresh handhold, the mountain climber grasped the edge of a cleft in the sheer rockface

Front 757

cleave

Back 757

split or sever; cling to; remain faithful to. With her heavy cleaver, Julia CHild can cleave a whole roast duck in two

Front 758

clavicle

Back 758

collarbone

Front 759

claustrophobia

Back 759

fear of being locked in

Front 760

clarion

Back 760

shrill, trumpetlike sound. We woke to the clarion call of the bugle

Front 761

clapper

Back 761

striker (tongue) of a bell. WIshing to be undisturbed by the bell, Dale wound his scarf around the clapper to muffle its striking

Front 762

clangor

Back 762

toud; resounding noise. The blacksmith was accustomed to the clangor of hammers on steel

Front 763

clandestine

Back 763

secret. After avoiding their chaperon the lovers had a clandestine meeting

Front 764

clamor

Back 764

noise. The clamor of the chidren at play outside made it impossible for her to take a nap

Front 765

clamber

Back 765

climb by crawling. She clambered over the wall

Front 766

clairvoyant

Back 766

having foresigt; fortuneteller. Cassandra's clairvoyant warning was not heeded by the Torojans clairvoyance N

Front 767

civil

Back 767

having to do with citizens of the state; courteous and politie. ALthough intenal Revenue Service agents are civil servants, they are not always civil to suspected tax evaders

Front 768

cite

Back 768

quote; ocmmend. She could cite passages in the Bible from memory. citation N

Front 769

citadel

Back 769

fortress. The citadel overlooked the city like a protecting angel

Front 770

cistern

Back 770

reservoir of water tank. The farmers were able o withstand the dry season by using rainwater they had sotred in an underground cistern

Front 771

circumspect

Back 771

prudent; cautious;. Investigating before acting, she tried always to be icrcumspect

Front 772

circumscribe

Back 772

limit narrolwy; confine or restrict; define. The great lords of state tried to circumscribe the queen's power by having her accept a set of conditions that left the decisive voice.

Front 773

circumlocution

Back 773

unnecessarily wordy and indirect speech; evasive language. Don't beat about the bush, but just say what you want to say: I'm fed up with listening to your circumlocutions

Front 774

circuitous

Back 774

roundabout. Because of the traffic congesion on the main highways, she took a circuitous route. circuit

Front 775

cipher

Back 775

secret code. Lacking his code book, the spy was unable to decode the message sent to him in cipher

Front 776

cipher

Back 776

nonentity; worthless person or thing. She claimed her ex husband was a total cipher and wondered why she had ever married him

Front 777

ciliated

Back 777

having minute hairs. The paramecium is a ciliated, one-celled animal

Front 778

churlish

Back 778

boorish; rude. Dismayed by his churlish manners at the party, the girls vowed never to invite him again

Front 779

chronicle

Back 779

report; record (in chronological order)

Front 780

chronic

Back 780

long established; as a disease.

Front 781

chortle

Back 781

chuckle with delight.when she heard that her rival had just been jailed for embezzlement, she chortled with joy. she was not a nice lady

Front 782

choreography

Back 782

art of representing dances in written symbols; arrangement of dances.

Front 783

choleric

Back 783

hot-tempered. his flushed, angry face indicate a choleric nature

Front 784

chivalrous

Back 784

courteous; faithful; brave. chivalrous behavior involves noble words and good deeds

Front 785

chisel

Back 785

wedgelike tool for cutting. With his hammer and chisel, the sculptor chipped away at the block of marble

Front 786

chisel

Back 786

swindle or cheat; cut iwht a chisel. That crook chiseled me out of a hundred dollars when he sold me that 'marble' statue he'd chiseled out of some cheap hunk of rock

Front 787

chimerical

Back 787

fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; imaginative. As everyone expected, Ted's chimerical scheme to make a fortune by raising ermines in his backyard proved a dismal failure. Chimera n

Front 788

chide

Back 788

scold. Grandma began to chide steven for his lyng

Front 789

chicanery

Back 789

trickery; deception. Those sneaky lawyers misrepresented what occurred, made up all sorts of implausible alternative scnearios to confuse the jurors, and in general depended on chicanery to win the case

Front 790

cherubic

Back 790

angelic; innocent looking. WIth her cheerful smile and rosy cheeks, she was a particularly cherubic child

Front 791

checkered

Back 791

marked by changes in fortune. During his checkered career he had lived in palatial mansions and in dreary boarding houses

Front 792

check

Back 792

stop motion; curb or restrain. Thrusting out her arm, Grandma checked Bobby's lunge at his sister, 'Young man' she said, 'you'd better check your temper' (secondary meaning)

Front 793

chauvinist

Back 793

blindly devoted patriot; zealous adherent of a group or cause. A chauvinist cannot recognize any faults in his country, no maater how flagrant they may be

Front 794

chastise

Back 794

punish or scold; reprimand. Miss Watson liked nothing better than to chastise Huck for his alleged offensed

Front 795

chastened

Back 795

humbled; subdued; rebuled. After a series of meddlesome and unsuccessful attempts at matchmaking aong her friends, a chastened Emma finds her destiny in marriage to her protective neighbor George Knightley, long her mentor and friend

Front 796

chasten

Back 796

correct by punishment or scolding; restrain. No matter how much a chid deserves to be chastened for doing wrong, the maxim, "Spare the rod and spoil the child' never justifies physical abuse.

Front 797

chaste

Back 797

pure; virgina; modest. To ensure that his bride would stay chaste while he was off to the wars, the crusader had her fitted out with a chastity belt. chastity. N

Front 798

chassis

Back 798

framework and working parts of an automobile. Examining the car after the accident, the owner discovered that the body had been ruined but that the chassis was unharmed

Front 799

chasm

Back 799

abyss/hole. They could not see the bottom of the chasm

Front 800

chase

Back 800

ornamental a metal surface by indneting. With his hammer, he carefully chased an intricate design onto the surface of the chalice (secondary meaning)

Front 801

chary

Back 801

cautious; sparing or restrained about giving. A prudent; thrifty New Englander, DeWitt wa as chary of investing money in junk bonds as he was chary of paying people unnecessary compliments

Front 802

charlatan

Back 802

quack; pretender to knowledge. When they realized that the Wizard didn't know how to get them back to Kansas, Dorothy and her friends were sure they'd been duped by a charalatan

Front 803

charisma

Back 803

divine gift; great popular charm or appeal. Political commentators have deplored the importanece of a candidate's charisma in these dyas of television campaigning

Front 804

chatoric

Back 804

in utter disorder. He tried to bring order into the chaotic state of affairs. chaos N

Front 805

champion

Back 805

support militantly. Martin Luther King, Jr won the Nobel Peace Prize because he championed the oppressed n their struggle for equality

Front 806

chameleon

Back 806

lizard that changes color in different situations

Front 807

chalice

Back 807

goblet; consecrated cup. In a small room adjoining the cathedral, many ornately decorated chalices made by the most famous European goldsmitsh were on display

Front 808

chagrin

Back 808

vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride) disappointment. Embarrassed by his parents' shabby, working class appearance, doug flelt their visit to his school would bring him nothing but chagrin

Front 809

chaffing

Back 809

bantering; joking. sometimes Chad's flippant, chaffing remarks annoy us. still, Chad's chaffing keeps us laughing

Front 810

chaff

Back 810

worthless products of an endeavor. When you separate the wheat from the chaff, be sure you throw out the chaff

Front 811

chafe

Back 811

warm by rubbing, make sore (by rubbing). Chilled, he chafed his hands before the fire. The collar of his school uniform chafed TOm's neck, but not as much the schoo's strict rules chafed his spirit

Front 812

cession

Back 812

yielding (something) to another; ceding. The Battle of Lake erie, a major US naval victory i the Watr of 1812, ensured US control over Lake Erie and ruled out any territorial cession in the Northwest to Great Britian in the peace settlement

Front 813

cessation

Back 813

stoppage. The airline's employees threatened a cessation of all work if management failed to meet their demands. cease v

Front 814

certitude

Back 814

certainty. Though there was no certitude of his getting the job, Lee thought he had a good chance of being hired

Front 815

ceremonious

Back 815

marked by formality. Ordinary dress would be inappropriate at so ceremonious an affair

Front 816

cerebration

Back 816

thought. Mathematics problems sometimes require much cerebration

Front 817

cerebral

Back 817

pertaining to the brain or intellect. The content of philosophical works is cerebral in nature and requires much thought

Front 818

cerebral

Back 818

pertaining to the brain or intellect. The content of philosophical works is crebral in nature and requires much thought

Front 819

centurion

Back 819

Roman army officer. Because he was in command of a company of one hundred soldiers, he was called acenturion

Front 820

centripetal

Back 820

tending toward the center. Does centripetal force or the force of gravity bring orbiting bodies to the earth's surface?

Front 821

centrifuge

Back 821

machine that separates substances by whirling them. At the dairy, we employ a centrifuge to separate cream from milk

Front 822

centrifugal

Back 822

radiating; departing from the center. many automatic drying machines remove excess moisture from clothin by centrifugal force

Front 823

centigrade

Back 823

denoting a widely used temperature scale (basically same as Celsius). On the centigrade thermoemter, the freezing point of water is zero degrees

Front 824

centaur

Back 824

mythical figure, half man and half horse. I was particularly impressed by the stattue of the centaur in the Roman Hall of the museum

Front 825

censorious

Back 825

critical. Censorious people delight in casting blame

Front 826

censor

Back 826

overseer of morals person who eliminates inappropriate matter. soldiers dislike having their mail read by a censor but understand the need for this precaution

Front 827

celibate

Back 827

abstaining fro sexual intercourse; unmarried.

Front 828

celestial

Back 828

heavenly. She spoke of the celestial joys that awaited vrtuous souls in the hereafter

Front 829

celerity

Back 829

speed; rapidity. Hamlet resented his mother's celerity in remarryiing within a month after his father's death

Front 830

cede

Back 830

yield (title, territory) to; surrender formally. Eventually the descendants of England's Henry II were forced to cede their French territories to the king of france. cession

Front 831

cavil

Back 831

make frivolous objections. I respect your sensible criticisms, but I dislike the way you cavil about unimportant details

Front 832

cavalier

Back 832

casual and offhand; arrogant. Sensitive about having her ideas taken lightly, Marcia felt insulted by Mark's cavalier dismissal of her suggestion

Front 833

cavalcade

Back 833

procession; parade. As described by Chaucer, the cavcalcade of Canterbury pilgrims was a motley group

Front 834

cauterize

Back 834

burn with hot iron or caustic. In order to prevent infection, the doctor cauterized the wound

Front 835

caustic

Back 835

burning'ssarcastically biting. The critic's caustic remarks angered the hapless actors who were the subjects of his sarcasm

Front 836

causal

Back 836

implying a cause-effect reationship. The psychologist maintained there was a causal relationship between the nature of one's early childhood experiences and one's adult personality. casuality

Front 837

caulk

Back 837

to make watertight (by plugging semas)> When water from the shower leaked into the basement, we knew it was time to caulk the tiles at the edges of the shower stall

Front 838

caucus

Back 838

private meeting of members of a party to select officers or determine policy. At the opening of Congress the members of the Democratic Party held a caucus to elect the majority leader of the HOuse and the party whip

Front 839

catholic

Back 839

universal; wide ranging liberal. He was extremely catholic in his taste and read everything he could find in the library

Front 840

cathartic

Back 840

purgative. Some drugs act as laxatives when taken in small doses but act as cathartics when taken in much larger doses

Front 841

catharsis

Back 841

purging or cleansing of any passage of the body. Aristotle maintained that tragedy created a catharsis by purging the soul of base concepts

Front 842

categorical

Back 842

without exceptions; unqualified; absolute. Though the captain claimed he was never, never sick at sea, he finally qualified his categorical deniall he was 'hardly ever' sick at sea

Front 843

catechism

Back 843

book for religious instruction; instruction by question and answer. He taught by engaging his pupils in a catechism until they gave him the correct answer

Front 844

catcall

Back 844

shout of disapproval; boo. Every major league pitcher has off days during which he must learn to ignore catcalls and angry hisses from the crowd

Front 845

catastrophe

Back 845

calamity; disaster. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was a catastrophe that destroyedmost of the city. A similar earthquake striking today could have even more catastrophic results

Front 846

cataract

Back 846

great waterfall; eye abnormality. She gazed with awe at the mighty cataract known as Niagara Falls

Front 847

catapult

Back 847

slingshot; hurling machine. Airplanes are sometimes launched from battleships by catapults

Front 848

catalyst

Back 848

agent that influences the pace of a chemical reaction whie it remains unaffected and unchanged; person or thing that cuauses action

Front 849

cataclysm

Back 849

deluge; upheaval. A cataclysm such as the French Revolution affects all countries. cataclysmic adj

Front 850

casualty

Back 850

serious or fatal accident. The no. of automotive casualties on this holiday weekend was high

Front 851

castigation

Back 851

punishment; severe criticism

Front 852

caste

Back 852

one of the hereditary classes in Hindu society; social stratification; prestige

Front 853

cascade

Back 853

small waterfall. we were too tired to appreciate the beauty of the many cascades because we had to detour around them to avoid being drenched by the torrens cascading down

Front 854

cartographer

Back 854

map-maker. Though not a professional cartographer, tolkien was able to construct a map of his fictional world

Front 855

carrion

Back 855

rotting flesh of a dead body, Buzzards are nature's scavengers; they eat the carrion left behind by other predators

Front 856

carping

Back 856

petting criticism; fault-finding. Welcoming constructive criticism, LExy appreciated her editor's comment,s finding them free of carping

Front 857

carosual

Back 857

drunken revel. Once the beer chugging contests started, the drinking got out of control, and the party degenerated into an ugly carousal

Front 858

carnivorous

Back 858

meat-eating. The lion's a carnivorous beast; a hunk of meat makes up his feast. A cow is not a carnivore; she likes the taste of grain, not gore

Front 859

carnal

Back 859

fleshly. Is the public more interested in carnal pleasure s than in spiritual matters? Compare the no. of ppl wo read playbody daily to the no of those who read the bible every day

Front 860

carnage

Back 860

destruction of life. The film 'THe Killing Fields vividly depicts the carnage wreaked by Pol Pot's followers in Cambodia

Front 861

carillon

Back 861

a set of bells capable of being played. The carillon in the bell tower of the coca cola pavillion at the NY world's fair provided musical entertainment every hour

Front 862

caricature

Back 862

distortion; bulesque. The caricatures he drew always emphsized personal weaknesses of the people he burlesqued

Front 863

careen

Back 863

lurch; sway from side to side. The taxicab careened wildly as it rounded the corner

Front 864

cardiologist

Back 864

doctor specializing in ailments of the heart

Front 865

cardinal

Back 865

chief. If you want to increase your word power, the cardinal rule of vocabulary building is to read

Front 866

carcinogenic

Back 866

causing cancer

Front 867

carat

Back 867

unit of weight for precious stones; measure of fineneess of gold. eg 3 carat of diamond

Front 868

carapace

Back 868

shell covering the back (of a turtle, crab) . At the children's zoo, RIchard perched on top of the giant turtle's hard carapace as the creature slowly made its way around te enclosure

Front 869

captious

Back 869

faultfinding. His criticisms were always captious and frivolous, never offering constructive suggestions

Front 870

caption

Back 870

title; chapter heading; text under illustration

Front 871

capricious

Back 871

unpredictable; fickle. The storm was capricious; it changed course contstantly. Jill was capricious, too; she change bfs almost as often as she changed clothes. (me!)

Front 872

caprice

Back 872

whim. She was an unpredictable creture; acting on caprice, never taking thought of the consequences

Front 873

capitulate

Back 873

surrender. The enemy was warned to capitulate or face annihilation.

Front 874

capillary

Back 874

having a very fine bore. The changes in surface tension of liquids in capillary vessels is of special interest to physicists.

Front 875

capacity

Back 875

mental or physical ability; role; ability to accommodate. Mike had the capacity to handle several jobs at once

Front 876

capacious

Back 876

spacious. In the capacious areas of the railroad terminal, thousands of travelers lingered while waiting for their trains

Front 877

canvass

Back 877

determine or seek opinonis, votes. After canvassing the sentiments of his constituents, the congressman was confident that he represented the majority opinion of his district

Front 878

canto

Back 878

division of a long poem. Dante's poetic master piece. The Divine COmedy is divided into cantos

Front 879

canter

Back 879

slow gallop. Because the racehorse had out distanced its competition so easily, the reporter wrote that the race was won in a canter.

Front 880

cantata

Back 880

story set to music. to be sung by a chorus.

Front 881

cantankerous

Back 881

ill-humored; irritable. Constantly complaining about his treatment and refusing to cooperate with the hospital staff, he was a cantakerous patient

Front 882

cant

Back 882

insincere expressions of piety; jargon of thieves. Shocked by news of the mnister's extramarital love affairs, the worshippers dismissed his talk about the sacredness of marriage as mere cant.

Front 883

canon

Back 883

rule or principle; frequently religious. 'one catastrophe, one locality, one day' these are aristotles' rules for tragedy, and calssic french plays strictly follow them

Front 884

canon

Back 884

collection or authoritative list of books. scholars hotly debated whether the newly discovered sonnet should be accepted as part of the shakespearean canon

Front 885

canny

Back 885

shrewd; thrifty, quick reaction. The canny scotsman was more than a match for the swindlers

Front 886

canker

Back 886

any ulcerous sore; any evil. Poverty is a canker in the body politic; it must be cured

Front 887

canine

Back 887

related to dogs; doglike. Some days the canine population of Berkeley seems almost to outnumber the human population

Front 888

candor

Back 888

frankness; open honesty. Jack can carry candor too far; when he told Jill his honest opinion of her, she nearly slapped his face. candid

Front 889

canard

Back 889

false or ufounded story; fabricated report. Rather than becoming upset by the National Enquirer story about tony's supposed infidelity, tina refused to take the canard seriously

Front 890

camouflage

Back 890

disguise; hide, conceal. in order to rescue Hansolo, princess leia camouflaged herself in the helmet and cloak of a space bandit

Front 891

cameo

Back 891

shell or jewel carved in relief; star's special appearance in a minro role in a film. Don't bother buying cameos from the street peddlers in Rome; the carvings they sell are clumsy job.

Front 892

camaraderie

Back 892

good fellowship. What he loved best about his job was the sense of camaraderie he and his coworkers shared

Front 893

calumny

Back 893

maliciou misrepresentation; slander. He could endure his financial failure, but he could not bear the calumny that his foes heaped upon him

Front 894

calorific

Back 894

heat producing. Coal is much more calorific than green wood

Front 895

callow

Back 895

youthful; immature; inexperienced. As a freshman, Jack was sure he was a man of the world; as a sophomore, he made fun of freshmen as callow youths

Front 896

callous

Back 896

hardened; unfeeling. He had worked in the hospital for so many years that he was callous to the suffering in the wards. callus N

Front 897

calligraphy

Back 897

beautiful writing; excellent penemanship. As we examine ancient manuscripts, we become impressed with the calligraphy of the scribes

Front 898

caliber

Back 898

ability; quality. Einstein's cleaning the blackboards again? Alber, quit it. A man of your caliiber shouldn't have to do such menial tasks

Front 899

caldron

Back 899

large kettle. 'Why mr. Crusoe,' said the savage hating the giant caldron. 'we'd love to have you for dinner'

Front 900

calculated

Back 900

deliberately planned; likely.

Front 901

calamity

Back 901

disaster; misery. As news of the calamity spread, offers of relief poured in to the striken community

Front 902

cajole

Back 902

coax; wheedle. Cher tried to cajole her fahter into letting her drive the family car. cajoery

Front 903

cadge

Back 903

beg; mooch; panhandle. While his car was in the shop, Bob had to cadge a ride to work each day.

Front 904

cadence

Back 904

rhtymic rise and fall (of words or sounds) beat. Marching down the road, the troops sand out, following the cadence set by the sergeant

Front 905

cadaver

Back 905

corpse. In some states, it is illegal to dissect cadavers

Front 906

cacophonous

Back 906

discordant; inharmonious. Do the students in the orchestra enjoy the cacophonous sounds they make when they're tuning up? I don't know how they can stand the racket.

Front 907

cache

Back 907

hiding place. The detectives followed the suspect until he led them to the cache wehere he had stored his loot

Front 908

dyspeptic

Back 908

suffering from indigestion. All the talk about rich food made him feel dyspeptic. dyspepsia N

Front 909

dynamic

Back 909

energetic; vigorously active. The dynamic aerobics instructor kept her students on the run; she was a little dynamo

Front 910

dwindle

Back 910

shrink; reduce. The food in the lifeboat gradually dwindled away to nothing; in the end, they ate the ship's cook

Front 911

dutiful

Back 911

respectful; obedient. When Mother told Billy to kiss Great Aunt Hattie, the boy obediently gave the old woman a dutifl peck on her cheek

Front 912

duress

Back 912

forcible restraint; especially unlawfully. The hostages were held under duress until the prisoners' demands were met

Front 913

duration

Back 913

length of time something lasts

Front 914

duplicity

Back 914

double-dealing. Hypocrisy. WHen christina learned that marc had been 2 timing her, she was furious at his duplicity. duplicitous. adj

Front 915

dupe

Back 915

someone easily fooled. While the gullible Watson often was made a dupe by unscrupulous parties, Sherlock HOmes was far more difficult to fool

Front 916

dumbfound

Back 916

astonish. Egbert's perfect score on the GRE dumbfounded his classmates, who had always considered him to be utterly dumb

Front 917

dulcet

Back 917

sweet sounding. The dulcet sounds of the birds at dawn were soon drowned out by the roar of traffic passing our motel

Front 918

ductile

Back 918

malleable; flexible; pliable. Copper is ane xtremely ductile material; you can stretch it into the thinnest of wires, bend it, even wind it into loops. ductility N

Front 919

dubious

Back 919

questionable; filled with doubt. Some critics of the GRE contend the test is of dubious worth. Tony claimed he could get a perfect score on the test, but Tina was dubious; she kenw he hadn't cracked a book in 3 years. Dubiety. N

Front 920

drudgery

Back 920

menial work. Cinderella's fairy godmother rescued her from a life of drudgery

Front 921

dross

Back 921

waste matter; worthless impurities. Many methods have been devised to separate the valuable metal from the dross

Front 922

drone

Back 922

talk dully; buzz of murmur like a bee. On a gorgeous day, who wants to be stuck in a classroom listening to the teacher drone?

Front 923

drone

Back 923

idle person; male bee. Content to let his wife support him, the would be writer was in reality nothing but a drone

Front 924

droll

Back 924

odd and amusing. HE was a popular guest because his droll anecdotes were always entertaining

Front 925

drivel

Back 925

nonsense; folishness. Why do I have to spend my days listening to such idiotic drivel? Drivel is related to dribble; think of a dribbling, driveling idiot

Front 926

dregs

Back 926

sediment; worthless resideue. David poued the wine carefully to avoid stirring up the dregs

Front 927

draconian

Back 927

extremely severe. When the principal canceled the senior prom because some seniors had been late to school that week, we thought the draconian punishment was far too harsh for such a minor violation of the rules

Front 928

drab

Back 928

dull; lacking color; cheerless. THe Dutch woman's drab winter coat contrasted with the distinctive, coloful native costume she wore beneath it.

Front 929

downcast

Back 929

disheartened; sad. Cheerful and optimistic by nature, Beth was neverdowncast despite the difficulties she faced

Front 930

dowdy

Back 930

slovenly; untidy. She tried to change her dowdy image by buying a fashionable new wardrobe

Front 931

douse

Back 931

plunge into water; drench; extinguish. They doused each other with hoses and water balloons

Front 932

dour

Back 932

sullen; stubborn. The man was dour and taciturn

Front 933

dote

Back 933

be excessively fond of ; show signs of mental decline. Not only grandmothers bore you with stoires abotu their brilliant grandchidren; grandfathers dote on the little rascals too

Front 934

dotage

Back 934

senility. In his dotage, the ol man oredus with long tales of events in his childhood

Front 935

dossier

Back 935

file of documents on a subject. Ordered by J. Edgar Hoover to investigate the senator, The FBI compiled a complete dossier on him.

Front 936

dorsal

Back 936

relating to the back of an animla. A shark may be identified by its dorsal fin, which projects above the surface of the ocean.

Front 937

dormant

Back 937

sleeping; lethargic; latent. At fifty her long-dormant ambition to write flared up once more; within ayear she had completed the first of her great historical novels. dormancy

Front 938

don

Back 938

put on. When Clark Kent had to don his superman outfit, he changed clothes in a convenient phone booth

Front 939

domineer

Back 939

rule over tyrannically. Students prefer teachers who guide, not ones who domineer

Front 940

domicile

Back 940

home. Although his legal domicile was in New York City, his work kept him away from his residence for many years. v

Front 941

dolt

Back 941

stupid person; dunce. The heroes of Dumb and Dumber are, as the title suggests, a classic pair of dolts

Front 942

don

Back 942

put on. When Clark Kent had to don his superman outfit, he changed clothes in a convenient phone booth

Front 943

dolorous

Back 943

sorrowful. The conflict between Lancelot's love for Guinevere and his loyality to King Arthur led to Arthur's 'dolorous death and departing out of this world'.

Front 944

domineer

Back 944

rule over tyrannically. Students prefer teachers who guide, not ones who domineer

Front 945

doleful

Back 945

mournful; causing sadness. Eyeore, the lugubrious donkey immortalized by A.A. Milne, looked at his cheerful friend Tigger and sighed a doleful sigh.

Front 946

doldrums

Back 946

blues; listlessness; slack period. Once the excitement of meeting her deadline was over, she found herself in the doldrums

Front 947

domicile

Back 947

home. Although his legal domicile was in New York City, his work kept him away from his residence for many years. v

Front 948

dogmatic

Back 948

opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal. We tried to discourage Doug from being so dogmatic, but never could convince him that his opinions might be wrong

Front 949

dolt

Back 949

stupid person; dunce. The heroes of Dumb and Dumber are, as the title suggests, a classic pair of dolts

Front 950

doggerel

Back 950

poor verse. Although we find occasional snatches of genuine poetry in her work, most of her writing is mere doggerel.

Front 951

dolorous

Back 951

sorrowful. The conflict between Lancelot's love for Guinevere and his loyality to King Arthur led to Arthur's 'dolorous death and departing out of this world'.

Front 952

dogged

Back 952

determined; stubborn. Les Miserables tells of Inspector Javert's long, dogged pursuit of the criminal Jean Valjean

Front 953

doleful

Back 953

mournful; causing sadness. Eyeore, the lugubrious donkey immortalized by A.A. Milne, looked at his cheerful friend Tigger and sighed a doleful sigh.

Front 954

doff

Back 954

take off. A gentleman used to doff his hat to a lady

Front 955

doldrums

Back 955

blues; listlessness; slack period. Once the excitement of meeting her deadline was over, she found herself in the doldrums

Front 956

doddering

Back 956

shaky; infirm from old age. Lear's cruel daughters treat him as a doddering old fool, too aged and infirm to be taken seriously.

Front 957

dogmatic

Back 957

opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal. We tried to discourage Doug from being so dogmatic, but never could convince him that his opinions might be wrong

Front 958

document

Back 958

provide written evidence

Front 959

doggerel

Back 959

poor verse. Although we find occasional snatches of genuine poetry in her work, most of her writing is mere doggerel.

Front 960

doctrine

Back 960

teachiings in general; partical principle (religious, legal) taught

Front 961

dogged

Back 961

determined; stubborn. Les Miserables tells of Inspector Javert's long, dogged pursuit of the criminal Jean Valjean

Front 962

doctrinaire

Back 962

unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding. Weng had hoped that the student led democracy movement might bring about a change in china, but the repressive response of the doctrinaire hard liners crusihed his dreams of democracy

Front 963

doff

Back 963

take off. A gentleman used to doff his hat to a lady

Front 964

doddering

Back 964

shaky; infirm from old age. Lear's cruel daughters treat him as a doddering old fool, too aged and infirm to be taken seriously.

Front 965

document

Back 965

provide written evidence

Front 966

doctrine

Back 966

teachiings in general; partical principle (religious, legal) taught

Front 967

doctrinaire

Back 967

unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding. Weng had hoped that the student led democracy movement might bring about a change in china, but the repressive response of the doctrinaire hard liners crusihed his dreams of democracy

Front 968

docket

Back 968

program as for trial; book where such entries are made. The case of Smith V. Hones was entered in the docket for July 15.

Front 969

docile

Back 969

obedient; easily managed. As docile as he seems today, that old lion was once a ferocious, snarling beast. Docility. N

Front 970

divulge

Back 970

reveal. No lover of gossip, Charlotte would never divulge anything that a friend told her in confidence

Front 971

divine

Back 971

perceive intuitvely; foresee the future. Nothing infuriated Tom more than Betty's ability to divine when he's not telling the truth

Front 972

divest

Back 972

strip; deprive. He was divested of his power to act and could no longer govern. diverstiture N

Front 973

diversity

Back 973

variety; dissimilitude

Front 974

diversion

Back 974

act of turning aside; pasttime. After studying for several horus, he needed a diversion from work, divert v

Front 975

divese

Back 975

differing in some characterists; various

Front 976

divergent

Back 976

differing; deviating.

Front 977

diverge

Back 977

vary; go in different directions from the same point.

Front 978

diva

Back 978

operatic singer; prima donna. Although world famous as a diva, she did not indulge in fits of temperament

Front 979

diurnal

Back 979

daily. A farmer cannot neglect his diurnal tasks at any time; cows, for example, must be milked regularly

Front 980

distraught

Back 980

upset; distracted by anxiety. The distraught parnts frantically searched the ravine for their lost child

Front 981

distrait

Back 981

inattentive; distracted, often by anxiety. Jane was so caught up in her wedding plans that her family and friends considered her absent-minded, distrait, aloof and generally usless

Front 982

distort

Back 982

twist out of shape. It is difficult to believe the newspaper accounts of the riots because of the way some reporters distort and exaggerate the actual events.

Front 983

distinction

Back 983

honor; contrast; discrimination

Front 984

distill

Back 984

purify; refine; concentrate. distill water

Front 985

distend

Back 985

expand; swell outl. I can tell when he is under stress by the way the veins distend on his forehead

Front 986

distant

Back 986

reserved or aloof; cold in manner. Her distant greeting made me feel unwelcome from the start (secondary meaning)

Front 987

dissuade

Back 987

persuade not to do; discourage. since Tom could not dissuade Huck from running away from home, he decided to run away with his friend. Dissuaion n

Front 988

dissonance

Back 988

discord; opposite of harmony.

Front 989

dissolution

Back 989

disintegration; looseness in morals. The profligacy and dissolution of life in Caligula's rome appall some historians. dissolute adj

Front 990

dissipate

Back 990

squander; waste; scatter. He is a fine artist, but I fear he may dissipate his figts if he keeps wasting his time playing Trivial Pursuit

Front 991

dissimulate

Back 991

pretend; conceal by feigning. Although the governor tried to dissimulate his feelings about the opposing candidate, we all knew he despised his rival

Front 992

dssident

Back 992

dissenting; rebellious. IN the purge that followed the student demonstrations at Tianamen Square, the governemnet hunted down the dissident students and their supporters

Front 993

dissertation

Back 993

formal essay

Front 994

dissent

Back 994

disagree. IN the recent Supreme Court decision, Justice O Connor dissented from the majority opinion

Front 995

disseminate

Back 995

distribute; spread; scatter (like sees) B their use of the internet; propangandist have been able to disseminate their pet doctrines to new audiences around the globe

Front 996

dissemble

Back 996

disguise; pretend. Even tho John tried to dissemble his motive for taking modern dance, we all knew he was there not to dance but to meet girls.

Front 997

dissection

Back 997

analysis; cutting apart in order to examine

Front 998

disquisiton

Back 998

a formal systematic inquiry; an explanation of the results of a formal inquiry. In his disquisiton, he outlined the steps he had taken in reaching his conclusions

Front 999

disquietude

Back 999

uneasiess; anxiety. When Holmes had been gone fr a day, Watson felt only a slight sense of disquietude, but after a week with no word, Watson's uneasiness about his misisng friend had frown into a deep fear for Holmes's safety. disquiet n, v

Front 1000

disputatious

Back 1000

argumentative; fond of arguing. Covinced he knwe more than his lawyers, tony was a disputatious client, ready to argue abotu the best way to conduct the case

Front 1001

disport

Back 1001

amuse. The popularity of Florida as a winter resport is constantly increasing; eachyear, thousands more disport themselves at Miami and Palm Beach

Front 1002

dispirited

Back 1002

lacking in spirit. The coach used all the tricks at his command to buoy up the enthusiasm of his team, which had become dispirited at the loss of the star player.

Front 1003

disperse

Back 1003

scatter. The police fired tear gas into the crowd to disperse the protesters, dispersion n

Front 1004

dispel

Back 1004

scatter; drive away; cause to vanish. The bright sunlight eventually dispelled the morning mist

Front 1005

dispatch

Back 1005

speediness; prompt execution, message sent with all due speed. YOung Napoleon defeated the enmy with all possible dispatch; he then sent a ispatch to headquarters, informing his commander of the great victory

Front 1006

dispassionate

Back 1006

calm; impartial. KNown in the company for his cool judgment, Bill could impartially examine the causes of a probleml giving a dispassionate analysis of what had gone wrong, and go on to suggest how to correct the mess

Front 1007

disparity

Back 1007

difference; condition of inequality. Their disparity in rank made no difference at all to the prince and Cinderella

Front 1008

disparate

Back 1008

basically different; unrelated

Front 1009

disparage

Back 1009

belittle. A doting mother, Emma was more likely to praise her son's crude attempts at art than to disparage them

Front 1010

dismiss

Back 1010

eliminate from consideration; reject

Front 1011

dismember

Back 1011

cut into small parts. When the AUstrian empire was dismembered, several new countries were established

Front 1012

dismantle

Back 1012

take apart. When the show closed, they dismantled the scenery before storing it

Front 1013

dislodge

Back 1013

remove (forcibl) Thrusting her fist up under the choking mn's lower ribs, Margaret used the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the food caught in his throat

Front 1014

disjunction

Back 1014

act or state of separationo; disunity. Believing the mind could greatly affect the body's health, theholistic doctor rejected the notion of a necessary dis-junction of mind and body

Front 1015

disjointed

Back 1015

lacking coherence; separated at the joints

Front 1016

disinterested

Back 1016

unprejudiced. Given the judge's political ambitions and the lawyers' financial interest in the case,t he only disinterested person in the courtrooom they have bene the court reporter

Front 1017

disinter

Back 1017

dig up; unearth. They disinterred the body and held an autopsy

Front 1018

disingenuous

Back 1018

lacking genuine candor; insincere. Now that we know that the mayor and his wife are engaged in a bitter divorce fight, we find their earlier remarks regretting their lack of tiem together remarkably disingenuous

Front 1019

disheveled

Back 1019

untidy. Akkikuni's disheveled appearance will hurt his chances working in the real estate industry

Front 1020

dishearten

Back 1020

discourage. His failure to pass the bar exam disheartened him

Front 1021

disgruntle

Back 1021

make discontented. The passengers were disgruntled by the numerous delays

Front 1022

disgorge

Back 1022

surrender something; eject; vomit. Unwilling to disgorge the cash he had stolen from the pension fund, the embezzler tried to run away

Front 1023

disfigure

Back 1023

mar the appearance of; spoil. An ugly frown disfigured her normally pleasant face

Front 1024

disengage

Back 1024

uncouple; separate; disconnect. A standard movie routine involves the hero's desperate attempt to disengage a railroad car from a moving train

Front 1025

disenfranchise

Back 1025

deprive of a civil right. The imposition of the poll tax effectively disenfranchised poor Southern Blacks, who lost their right to vote

Front 1026

disembark

Back 1026

go ashore; unload cargo from a ship. Before the passengers could disembark, they had to pick up their passports from the ship's purser

Front 1027

disdain

Back 1027

view with scorn or contempt. In the film funny face, the bookish heroine disdained fahsion models for their lack of intellectual interest

Front 1028

discursive

Back 1028

digressing; rambling. As the lecturer wandered from topic to topic, we wondered what if any point there was to his discursive remarks.

Front 1029

discriminating

Back 1029

able to see difference; prejudiced. A superb interpreter of Picasso, she was sufficiently discriminating to judge the most complex workds of modern art. discrimination N

Front 1030

discretion

Back 1030

prudence in speech, actions; ability to decide responsibly; freedom to act on one's own. Charlotte was the soul of discretion; she enver would repeat anything told to her in confidence

Front 1031

discrete

Back 1031

separate; unconnected; consisting of distinct parts. IN programmed instruction, the information to be learned is presented in discrete units, you must repsond correctly to each until before you may advance to the next

Front 1032

discrepancy

Back 1032

lack of consistency; different

Front 1033

discredit

Back 1033

defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve. The campaign was highly negative in tone; each candidate tried to discredit the other.

Front 1034

discourse

Back 1034

formal discussion; conversation. The youg plato was drawn to the Agora to hear the pphilosophical discourse of Socrates and his followers

Front 1035

discount

Back 1035

disregard. Be prepared to discount what he has to say about his ex wife

Front 1036

discordant

Back 1036

not harmonious; conflicting. Nothing is quite so discordant as the sound of a junior high school orchestra tuning up

Front 1037

discord

Back 1037

conflict; lack of harmony. Watching Tweediedum battle Tweedledee, Alice wondered what had caused this pointless discord

Front 1038

disconsolate

Back 1038

sad. The death of his wife left him disconsolate

Front 1039

disconcert

Back 1039

confuse; upset; embarrass. THe lawyer was disconcerted by the evidence produced by her adversary

Front 1040

discomfit

Back 1040

put to rout; defeat; disconcert. This ruse will discomfit the enmy. discomfiture n discomfited

Front 1041

discombobulated

Back 1041

confused; discomposed. The novice square dancer became so discombobulated that he wandered into the wrong set

Front 1042

disclose

Back 1042

revea;. Although comeptitors offered him bribes, he refused to disclose any information about the company's forthcoming product. disclosure n

Front 1043

disclaim

Back 1043

disown; renounce claim to. If I grant you this priviledge, will you disclaim all other rights?

Front 1044

discerning

Back 1044

mentall quick and observant; having insight. Though no genius, the star was sufficiently discerning to distinguish her true friends from the countless phonies who flattered her discern v. discernment N

Front 1045

discernible

Back 1045

distinguishab;e' perceivable. The ships in the harbor were not discernible in the fog

Front 1046

disburse

Back 1046

pay out. When you disburse money on the company's behalf, be sure to get a receipt

Front 1047

disband

Back 1047

dissolve; disperse. The chess club disbanded after its diastrous initial season

Front 1048

disavowal

Back 1048

denial; disclaiming. The novelist James was controversial both for his earlysupport of commuism and for his subsequent disavowa; of it after a visit to the Soviet Union. disavow. v

Front 1049

disarray

Back 1049

disorderly or untidy state. After the New Year's party. the once orderly house was in total disarray

Front 1050

disapprobation

Back 1050

disapproval; condemnation. The conservative father viewed his daughter's radical boyfriend with disapprobation

Front 1051

disaffected

Back 1051

disloyal. ONce the most loyal of BRadley's supporters, Senator Moynihan found himself becoming increasingly disaffected

Front 1052

disabuse

Back 1052

correct a false impression; undeceive. I will attempt to disabuse you of your impression of my client's guilt; i know he is innocent

Front 1053

dirge

Back 1053

lament with music. THe funeral dirge stirred us to tears

Front 1054

dire

Back 1054

disastrous. American Red Cross have to work in the mid of dire

Front 1055

diorama

Back 1055

life-size, three dimentsional scene from nature or history. Because they dramatically pose actual stuffed animals against realistic painted landscapes, the dioramas at the Museum of Natural History particularly impress high school biology students

Front 1056

dingy

Back 1056

dull; not fresh, cheerless. Refusing to be depressed by her dingy studio apartment, Bea spent the weekend polishing the floors and window and hanign bright posters on the walls

Front 1057

din

Back 1057

continued loud noise. The din of the jack hammers outside the classroom window drowned out the lecturer's voice

Front 1058

diminution

Back 1058

lessening; reduction in size. Old Jack was as sharp at eighty as he had been at fifty; increasing age led to no diminution of his mental acuity

Front 1059

dilute

Back 1059

make less concentrated; reduce in strength

Front 1060

diligence

Back 1060

steadiness of effot; persistnet hard work. her employers were greatly impressed by her diliggence and offered her a partnership in the firm

Front 1061

dilettante

Back 1061

aimless follower of the arts, amateur; dabbler. According to Turgenev, without painstaking work, any writer or artist remains a dilettante. In an age of increasing professionalism, the terms amateur and dilettante have taken on negative contions they did not originally possess.

Front 1062

dilemma

Back 1062

problem; choice of two unsatisfactory alternatives. In this dilemma, he knew no one to whom he could turn for advice.

Front 1063

dilatory

Back 1063

tending to delay; intentionally delayiing. If you are dilatory in paying your bills, your credit rating may suffer.

Front 1064

dilate

Back 1064

expand. In the dark, the pupils of your eyes

Front 1065

dilapidated

Back 1065

ruined because of neglect. The dilapidated old building needed far more work than just a new coat of paint. Dilapidation

Front 1066

digression

Back 1066

wandering away from the subject. Nobody minded when Professor Renoir's lectures wandered away from their official theme; his digressions were always more fasinating than the topic of the day. digress v

Front 1067

diffuse

Back 1067

wordy; rambling spread out (like a gas). If you pay authors by the word, you tempt them to produce diffuse manuscripts rather than brief ones.

Front 1068

diffidence

Back 1068

shyness. You must overcome your idfidence if you intend to become a salesperson

Front 1069

die

Back 1069

device for stamping or impressing; mld. In coining pennies, workers at the old mint squeezed sheets of softened copper between two dies.

Front 1070

didactic

Back 1070

teaching; instructional. Pope's lengthy poem An Essay on Man is too didactic for my taste; i dislike it when poets turn preachy and moralize. didacticism

Front 1071

dictum

Back 1071

authoritative and weighty statement; saying maxim. University adminstrations still follow the old dictum 'publish or perish'. they don't care how good a teacher you are; if you don't publish enough papers, you're out of a job

Front 1072

dichotomy

Back 1072

split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones). Willie didn't know how to resolve and the dichotomy between his ambition to go to college and his childhood longing to run away and join the circus. Then he heard about Ringling Brothers Circus college, and he knew he'd found his school

Front 1073

diminution

Back 1073

lessening; reduction in size. Old Jack was as sharp at eighty as he had been at fifty; increasing age led to no diminution of his mental acuity

Front 1074

dilute

Back 1074

make less concentrated; reduce in strength

Front 1075

diligence

Back 1075

steadiness of effot; persistnet hard work. her employers were greatly impressed by her diliggence and offered her a partnership in the firm

Front 1076

dilettante

Back 1076

aimless follower of the arts, amateur; dabbler. According to Turgenev, without painstaking work, any writer or artist remains a dilettante. In an age of increasing professionalism, the terms amateur and dilettante have taken on negative contions they did not originally possess.

Front 1077

dilemma

Back 1077

problem; choice of two unsatisfactory alternatives. In this dilemma, he knew no one to whom he could turn for advice.

Front 1078

dilatory

Back 1078

tending to delay; intentionally delayiing. If you are dilatory in paying your bills, your credit rating may suffer.

Front 1079

dilate

Back 1079

expand. In the dark, the pupils of your eyes

Front 1080

dilapidated

Back 1080

ruined because of neglect. The dilapidated old building needed far more work than just a new coat of paint. Dilapidation

Front 1081

digression

Back 1081

wandering away from the subject. Nobody minded when Professor Renoir's lectures wandered away from their official theme; his digressions were always more fasinating than the topic of the day. digress v

Front 1082

diffuse

Back 1082

wordy; rambling spread out (like a gas). If you pay authors by the word, you tempt them to produce diffuse manuscripts rather than brief ones.

Front 1083

diffidence

Back 1083

shyness. You must overcome your idfidence if you intend to become a salesperson

Front 1084

die

Back 1084

device for stamping or impressing; mld. In coining pennies, workers at the old mint squeezed sheets of softened copper between two dies.

Front 1085

didactic

Back 1085

teaching; instructional. Pope's lengthy poem An Essay on Man is too didactic for my taste; i dislike it when poets turn preachy and moralize. didacticism

Front 1086

dictum

Back 1086

authoritative and weighty statement; saying maxim. University adminstrations still follow the old dictum 'publish or perish'. they don't care how good a teacher you are; if you don't publish enough papers, you're out of a job

Front 1087

dichotomy

Back 1087

split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones). Willie didn't know how to resolve and the dichotomy between his ambition to go to college and his childhood longing to run away and join the circus. Then he heard about Ringling Brothers Circus college, and he knew he'd found his school

Front 1088

diatribe

Back 1088

bitter scolding; invective. During the lengthy diatribe delievered by his opponent he reamined calm and self-controlled

Front 1089

diaphanous

Back 1089

sheer; transparent. Through the diaphanous curtains, the burglar could clearly see the large jewelry box on the dressing table. SExy nightgowns are diaphanous; woolen long joins, fortunately are not.

Front 1090

dialectical

Back 1090

relating to the art of debate; mutual of reciprocal. The debate coach's students grew to develop great forensic and dialectical skill. Teaching, however is inherentlya dialectical situation; the coach learned at least as much from her students as they learned form her. dialectics N

Front 1091

diadem

Back 1091

crown. The king's diadem was on display at the museum

Front 1092

diabolical

Back 1092

devilish. 'What a fiend I am, to devise such a diabolical scheme to destroy Gotham City. ' chortled the Joker.

Front 1093

dexterous

Back 1093

skillful. The magician was so dexterous that we could not follow his movements as he performed his tricks

Front 1094

devout

Back 1094

pious. The devout man prayed daily.

Front 1095

devotee

Back 1095

enthusiastic follower. A devotee of the opera, she bought season tickets every year.

Front 1096

devolve

Back 1096

be transferred to another; delegate to another; gradually worsen. Because HUmpty Dumpty was too shattered by his fall to clean up his own mess, al the work of picking up the pieces devolved upon poor Alice.

Front 1097

devoid

Back 1097

lacking. you may thing cher's mind is a total void, but she's actually not devoid of intelligence. She just sounds like an airhead

Front 1098

devise

Back 1098

think up; invent; plan. HOw clever he must be to have devised such a devious plan! What ingenious inventions might he have devised if he had turned his mind to science rather than to crime.

Front 1099

devious

Back 1099

roundabout; erratic; not straightforward. The Joker's plan was so devious that it was only with great difficulty we could follow its shifts and dodges

Front 1100

deviate

Back 1100

turn away from (a principle, norm); depart; diverge. Richard never deviated fro his daily orutine; every day he set off for work at 8 , had his sak lunch at noon, and headed home at the stroke of five.

Front 1101

detrimental

Back 1101

harmful, damaging

Front 1102

detraction

Back 1102

slandering; aspersion.Because Jo and Mary dared to fight for women's rights, their motives, manners, dress, personal appearance, and character were held up to ridicule and detraction

Front 1103

detonation

Back 1103

explosion. The detonation of the bomb could be heard miles away

Front 1104

deterrent

Back 1104

something that discourages; hindrance. Does the threat of capital punishment serve as a deterrent to potential killers?

Front 1105

determination

Back 1105

resolve; measurement or calculation; deicsion.

Front 1106

determinate

Back 1106

having a fixed order of procedure; invariable. At the royal wedding, the procession of the nobles followed a determinate order of precedence

Front 1107

detached

Back 1107

emotionally removed; calm and objective; physically separate. A psychoanalyst must maintain a detahced point of view and stay uninolved with her patients' personal lives.

Front 1108

desultory

Back 1108

aimless; haphazard; digressing at random. In prison Malcolm X set himself the task of reading straight through the dictionary; to him, reading was purposeful, not desultory

Front 1109

desuetude

Back 1109

state of disuse. Overshadowed by the newly popular waltzes adnd cotilions, the English country dances of Jane Austen's time fell into desuetude until they were rediscovered during the folk dance revivfval of the early 20th C

Front 1110

destitute

Back 1110

extremely poor. Because they had no health insurance, the father's costlyillness left the family destitute. Destitution N

Front 1111

despot

Back 1111

tyrant; harsh, authoritatirian ruler. How could a benevolent king turn overnight into a despot? Despotism n

Front 1112

despondent

Back 1112

depressed; glommy. To the disterss of his parents, william became seriously despondent after he broke up with Jan. despondency n

Front 1113

despoil

Back 1113

strip of valuable; rob. Seeking plunder, the raiders despoiled the village, carrying off any valuables they found

Front 1114

despise

Back 1114

look on with scorn; regard as worth;ess or distasteful Mr. Bond, I despise spies; i look down on them as mean, despicable, honorless men, whom I would wipe from the face of the earth with as little concern as I would scrape dog droppings from the bottom of my shoe

Front 1115

desparado

Back 1115

reckless outlaw. Butch Cassidy was a bold desperado with a price on his head

Front 1116

desolate

Back 1116

rob of joy; lay waste to; forsake. The bandits desolated the countryside, burning farms and carrying off the harvest

Front 1117

desolate

Back 1117

unpopulated; joyless. After six months in the crowded, bustling metropolis, David was so sick of peoplethat he was ready to head for the most desolate patch of wilderness he could find

Front 1118

desiccate

Back 1118

dry up. A tour of this smokehouse will give you an idea of how the pioneers used to desiccate food in order to preserve it.

Front 1119

desecrate

Back 1119

profane; violate the sanctity of. Shatteringthe altar and trampling the holy objects underfoot, the invaders desecrated the sanctuary

Front 1120

descry

Back 1120

catch sight of. In the distance, we could barely descry the enmy vessels

Front 1121

derogatory

Back 1121

expressing a low opinoi. Because the word Eskimo has come under strong attack in recent years for its supposedly derogatoryc onnotations; many Americans today either avoid the term or feel uneasy using it

Front 1122

dermatologist

Back 1122

one who studies skin or its disease

Front 1123

derivative

Back 1123

unoriginal; obtained from another source. Although her early poetry was clearly derivative in nature, the critics thought she had promise and eventually would find her own voice

Front 1124

deride

Back 1124

ridicule; make fun of. The critics derided his pretentious dialogue and refused to consider his play seriously. Despite the critics' derision, however, audiences were moved by the play, cheering its unabsehedly sentimental conclusion derisive. adj

Front 1125

derelict

Back 1125

abandoned; negligent. The mother derelict his child and put him into the froster home.

Front 1126

derange

Back 1126

make insane; disarrange. Hamlet's cruel rejection deranged poor Ophelia; in her madness, she drowned herself

Front 1127

depredation

Back 1127

plundering. After the depredations of the invaders, the people were penniless

Front 1128

depreciate

Back 1128

lessen in value

Front 1129

deprecate

Back 1129

express disapproval of ; protest against; belittle. A firm believer in old-fashioned courtesy, Miss Post deprecated the modern tendency to address new acquaintances by their first names. deprecatory

Front 1130

depravity

Back 1130

extreme corruption; wickedness. The depravity of Caligula's behavior eventually sickened even those who had willingly participated in his earlier, comparatively innocent orgies. deprave v

Front 1131

deposition

Back 1131

testimony under oath. She made her deposition in the judge's chamber

Front 1132

depose

Back 1132

dethrone; remove from office. The army attempted to depose the king and set up a military government

Front 1133

deploy

Back 1133

spread out (troops) in an extended though shallow battle line.

Front 1134

deplore

Back 1134

regret. Although I deplore the vulgarity of yur language, I defedn your right ot express yourself freely

Front 1135

deplete

Back 1135

reduce; exhaust. We must wait until we deplete our present inventory before we order replacements

Front 1136

depict

Back 1136

portray. In this sensational expose, the author depicts Beatle John Lennon as a drug-crazed neurotic. Do you question the accuracy of this depiction of Lennon?

Front 1137

denounce

Back 1137

condemn; criticize. The reform candidate denounced the corrupt city officers for having betrayed the public's trust. decnunciation n

Front 1138

denouement

Back 1138

outcome; final development of the plot of a play or other literary work. The play was childishly written; the denouement was obviosu to sophisticated theatergoers as early as the middle of the first act

Front 1139

denotation

Back 1139

meaning; distinguishing by name. A dictionary will always give us the denotation of a word; frequently, it will also give us its connotation

Front 1140

denizen

Back 1140

inhabitant or resident; regular visitor. In the untouchables, Eliot Ness fiths Al Capone and the other denizens of Chicago's underworld. Ness's fight against corruption was the talk of all the denizens of the local bars

Front 1141

denigrate

Back 1141

blacken. ALl attemptsto denigrate the character of our late president have failed, the peopel stilll love him and cherish his memory

Front 1142

demure

Back 1142

grave; serious; coy. She was demure and reserved, a nice modest girl whom any young man would be proud to take home to his mother.

Front 1143

demur

Back 1143

adj object (because of doubts, scrupless) hesitate. When offered a post on the board of directors, David demurred; he had scruples about taking on the job because he was unsure he could handle it in addition to his other responsibilities

Front 1144

demur

Back 1144

n. objection; protest. Michelangelo regularly denied that leonardo da vinci had incluenced him, and critics have usually accepted his statements without demur

Front 1145

demotic

Back 1145

pertaining to the people. HE lamented the passing of aristocratic society and maintained that a demotic society owuld lower the nation's standards

Front 1146

demoniac

Back 1146

fiendish. The Spanish INquisiton devised many demoniac means of torture. demon n

Front 1147

demolition

Back 1147

destruction. One of the major aims of the air force was the complete demolition of all means of transportation by the bombing of rail lines and terminals. demolish v

Front 1148

demographic

Back 1148

related to population balance

Front 1149

demise

Back 1149

death. Upon the demise of the dictator, a bitter dispute about succession to power developed

Front 1150

demented

Back 1150

insane. Doctor Demento was a radio personality who liked to act as if he were truly demented. If you're demented; your mental state is out of whack; in other words, u're wacky

Front 1151

demeanor

Back 1151

behavior; bearing. His sober demeanor quieted the noisy revelers

Front 1152

demean

Back 1152

degrade; humiliate. Standing on his dignity, he refused to demena himself by replying to the offensive letter. If you truly believed in the dignity of labor, you would not think it would emean you to work as a janitor

Front 1153

demagogue

Back 1153

person who appeals to people's prejudice; false leader. He was accused of being a demagogue because he made promises that aroused futile hopes in his listeners

Front 1154

delve

Back 1154

dig; investigate. Delving into old books and manuscripts is part of a researcher's ob

Front 1155

delusive

Back 1155

deceptive; raising vain hopes. DO not raise your hopes on the basis of his delusive promises

Front 1156

delusion

Back 1156

false belief; hallucination. Don suffers from delusions of grandeur; he thinks the's a world famous author when he's published just one paperback book

Front 1157

deluge

Back 1157

flood; rush. When we advertised the position we received a deluge of application

Front 1158

delude

Back 1158

deceive. THe mistress deludes herself into believing that her lover will leave his wife and marry her

Front 1159

delta

Back 1159

flat plain of mud or sand between braches of a river. His dissertation discussed the effect of intermitten flooding on the fertility of the Nile delta

Front 1160

delirium

Back 1160

mental disorder marked by confusion. In his delirium, the drunkard saw pink panthers and talking pigs. Perhaps, he wasn't delirious; he might jsut have wandered into a movie house.

Front 1161

delineate

Back 1161

portray; ponder. Abel asked Christina to deliberate before buying a new house.

Front 1162

deleterious

Back 1162

harmful. If you believe that smoking is deleterious to your health (and the Surgeon General surely does), then quit

Front 1163

delete

Back 1163

erase; strike out.

Front 1164

deign

Back 1164

condescend; stoop. The celebrated fashion designer would not deign to speak to a mere seamsterss; his overburdened assistant had to convey the masters' wishes to the lowly workers assembling his great designs

Front 1165

deify

Back 1165

turn into a god; idolize. Admire the rock star all you want; just don't deify him

Front 1166

dehydrate

Back 1166

remove from water; dry out

Front 1167

degradation

Back 1167

humiliation; debasement; dgeneration. Some secretaries object to fetching the boss a cup of coffee because they resent the degradation of being made to perform such lowly tasks. degrade v

Front 1168

degenerate

Back 1168

become worse; deteriorate. As the fight dragged on, the champion's style degenerated until he could barely keep on his feet

Front 1169

defunct

Back 1169

dead; no longer in use or existence The lawyers sought to examine the books of the defunct corporation

Front 1170

deft

Back 1170

neat; skillful. The deft waiter uncorked the champagne without spilling a drop

Front 1171

defrock

Back 1171

to strip a priest or minister of church authority. We knew the minister had violated church regulations but we had not realized his offense was serious enough to cause him to bed efrocked

Front 1172

defray

Back 1172

provide for the payment of. Her employer offered to defray the costs of her postgrad education

Front 1173

defoliate

Back 1173

destroy leaves. In Vietnam the army made extensive use of chemical agents to defoliate the woodlands

Front 1174

deflect

Back 1174

turn aside. HIs life was saved when his cigarette case deflected the bullet

Front 1175

definitive

Back 1175

most reliable or complete. Carol Sandburg's Abraham Lincoin may be regarded as the definitive work on the life of the Great Emancipator

Front 1176

defile

Back 1176

pollute; profane. The hoodlums defiled the churhc with their scurrious writing

Front 1177

defiance

Back 1177

refusal to yield; resistance. When John reached the 'terrible two's he responsde to every parental request with howwls of definance defy v defiant adj

Front 1178

deference

Back 1178

courteous regard for another's wish. Ind eference to the minister's request, pleaes do not take photographs during the wedding service.

Front 1179

defer

Back 1179

give in respectfully; submit. When it comes to making decisions about purchasing software, we must defer to Michae;, our computer guru; he has the final word. Michael however, can defer these quesetions to no one; only he can decide

Front 1180

defection

Back 1180

desertion. The children, who had made him an idol, were hurt most by his defection from our cause

Front 1181

defeatist

Back 1181

resigned to defeat; accepting defeat as a natural outcome. If you maintain your defeatist attitude, you will never succeed

Front 1182

default

Back 1182

failure to act. When the visiting team failed to show up for the big game, they lost the game y default.

Front 1183

defame

Back 1183

harm someone's reputation; malign; slander. If you try to defame my good name, my lawyers will see you in court

Front 1184

deface

Back 1184

mar; disfugre. If you deface a library book you will have to pay a hefty fine

Front 1185

deducible

Back 1185

derived by reasoning. If we accept your premise, your conclusions are easily deducible

Front 1186

decry

Back 1186

express strong disapproval of; disparage. The founder of the chidren's defese fund, marian wright , strongly decries the lack of financial and moral support for children in america today

Front 1187

decrepitude

Back 1187

state of collapse caused by illness or old age. I was unprepared for the state of decrepitude in which I had found my old friend; he seemed to have aged twenty years in six months

Front 1188

decoy

Back 1188

lure or bait. The wild ducks were not fooled by the decoy

Front 1189

decorum

Back 1189

propriety; orderliness and good taste in anners. Even the best-mannered students have trouble behaving with decorum on the last day of school. decorous adj

Front 1190

decomposition

Back 1190

decay.

Front 1191

decollete

Back 1191

having a low cut neckline. Fashion decrees that evning gowns be decollete this season; bare shoulders are again the vogue

Front 1192

decipher

Back 1192

decode. I could not decipher the doctor's handwriting

Front 1193

declivity

Back 1193

downward slope. The chhildren loved to ski down the declivity

Front 1194

decimate

Back 1194

kill, usually one out of ten. We do mor to decimate our population in automobile accidents than we do in war.

Front 1195

deciduous

Back 1195

falling off, as of leaves. The oak is a deciduous tree

Front 1196

debonair

Back 1196

urbane and suave; amiable; cheerful and carefree. Reporters frequently describe polished and charming leading men- cary grant is an example as debonair

Front 1197

debiliate

Back 1197

weaken;enfeeble. Michael's sever bout of the flu debiliated him so much that he was too tired to go to work for a week

Front 1198

debauch

Back 1198

corrupt; seduce from virtue. Did socrates ' teachings lead the young men of athens to be virtuous citizens, or did they debauch the young men, causing them to question the customs of their fathers?

Front 1199

debase

Back 1199

reduce the quality or value; lower in esteem; insult degrade.Anna refused to kneel down and prostate herself befoer the king; she feels that to do so would debase her position, and she will not submit to such debasement.

Front 1200

debacle

Back 1200

sudden downfall; complete diaster. In the Airplane movies, every flight turns into a debacle, with passengers and crew members collapsing, engines falling apart, and carry on baggae popping out of the overhead bins

Front 1201

dearth

Back 1201

scarcity. The dearth of skilled labor compelled the employers to open trade schools

Front 1202

deadpan

Back 1202

wooden; impassive. We wanted to see how long he could maintain his deadpan expression

Front 1203

deadlock

Back 1203

standstill; stalemate. Because negotiations had reached a deadlock, some of the delegates had begun to mutter about breaking off the talks

Front 1204

dawdle

Back 1204

loiter; waste time. Christina is dawdling her time, not studying GRE

Front 1205

dauntless

Back 1205

bold. Despite the dangerous nature of the undertaking, the dauntless soldier volunteered for the assignment

Front 1206

daunt

Back 1206

intimidate; frigten

Front 1207

daub

Back 1207

smear (as with pating). from the way he daubed his paint on the canvvavs, i could tell he knew nothing of oils

Front 1208

dappled

Back 1208

spotted. The sunlight filtering through the screens created a dappled effect on the wall.

Front 1209

dapper

Back 1209

neat and trim. Mum's hair is dapper, very neat and nicely trimmed.

Front 1210

dank

Back 1210

damp. The walls of the dungeon were dank and slim

Front 1211

damp

Back 1211

lessen in intesity; diminish; mute. Not even the taunts of his brother, wo considered ballet no proper pursuit for a lad, could damp BIlly Elliot's enthusiasm for dancing

Front 1212

dally

Back 1212

trifle with; procrastinate. Laertes told Ophelia that Hamlet would only daily with her affection

Front 1213

dais

Back 1213

raised platform for guests of honor. When she approached the dais, she was greeted by cheers from the people who had come to honor her.

Front 1214

dabble

Back 1214

work at in a nonserious fashion; splash around. The amateur painter dabbled at art, but seldom produced a finihed piece

Front 1215

exult

Back 1215

rejoice. we exulted when our team won the victory

Front 1216

exude

Back 1216

discharge; give forth. We get maple syrup from the sap that the trees exude in early spring. exudation N

Front 1217

exuberance

Back 1217

overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness. I was bowled over by the exuberance of amy's welcome. Cheeks glowing, she was the picture of exuberant good health.

Front 1218

extrude

Back 1218

force or push out. Much pressure is requred to extrude these plastics.

Front 1219

extrovert

Back 1219

person interested mostly in extrenal objects and actions. A good salesperson is usually an extrovert who likes to mingle with people

Front 1220

extrinsic

Back 1220

external; not essentia; extraneous. A critically acclaimed extrinsic feature of the Chryster Building is its ornate spire.

Front 1221

extricate

Back 1221

free; disentangle. Icebreakers were needed to extricate the trapped whales from the icy floes that closed them in

Front 1222

extrapolation

Back 1222

projection; conjecture. Based on their extrapolation from the results of the primaries on Super Tuesday, the networks predicted that George W BUsh would be the Republican candidate for the presidency

Front 1223

extraneous

Back 1223

not essential; superfluous. No wonder Ted can't think straight! His mind is so cluttered up with extraneous trivia, he can't concentrate on the essentials

Front 1224

extradition

Back 1224

surrender of prisoner by one state to antoher. The lawyers opposed the extradition of their client on the grounds that for more than five years he had been a model citizen

Front 1225

extort

Back 1225

wring from; get money by threats etc. The blackmailer xtorted money from his victim.

Front 1226

extol

Back 1226

praise; florify. The president extolled the astronauts, calling them the pioneers of the Space Age

Front 1227

extenuate

Back 1227

weaken; mitigate. It is easier for us to extenuate our own shortcomings than those of others

Front 1228

extemporaneous

Back 1228

not planned; impromptu. Because her extemporaneous remarks were misinterpreted, she decided to write all her speeches in advance

Front 1229

extant

Back 1229

still in existence. Although the book is out of print, somecopies are still extant. Unfortunately, all of them are in libraries or private collections; none is for sale