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61 Cards in this Set
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- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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abate (v)
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to decrease, reduce
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NASA announced that it would delay the launch of the manned spacecraft until the radiation from the solar flares abated.
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abdicate (v)
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to give up a position, right, or power
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An emperor was forced to abdicate the throne.
The appeals judge has abdicated his responsibility to review the findings. |
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aberrant (adj)
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deviating from what is normal
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What a person's behavior becomes aberrant, his or her peers may become concerned that the individual is becoming a deviant.
Solar eclipses are considered aberrations in the natural order. |
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abeyance (n)
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temporary suppression or suspension
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A good judge must hold his or her judgement in abeyance until all the facts in a case are presented
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abject (adj)
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miserable, pitiful
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The Grapes of Wrath portrays abject poverty.
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abjur (v)
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to reject, abandon formally
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Quakers abjure the use of violence.
To become a US citizen, one must take an oath abjuring allegiance to any other country. |
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abscission (n)
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the act of cutting
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Premature leaf abscission is an adaptive plant response to herbivorous attack.
The surgeon abscised a small growth. |
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abscond (n)
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to depart secretly
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The criminal is believed to have absconded with 3 million dollars.
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abstemious (adj)
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moderate in appetite
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People with an abstemious lifestyle tend to live longer.
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accretion (n)
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growth in size or increase in amount
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Sea floor spreading causes a steady accretion of the earth's crust.
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adjunct (n)
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something added, attached, or joined
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Cross country and marathons are regarded as adjuncts of track and field athletics.
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adulterate (v)
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to corrupt or make impure
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The unscrupulous company sells an adulterated version of the drug and doesn't inform consumers that they are getting a less effective drug.
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affected (adj)
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pretentious, phony
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Emphasis on "proper English" leads to unnatural and affected speech.
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aggrandize (v)
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to make larger or greater
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The framers of the Constitution were concerned that the government would try to aggrandize itself at the expense of others.
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alacrity (n)
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cheerful willingness, eagerness, speed
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The football team worked on improving its skills with alacrity.
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allay (v)
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to lessen, ease, soothe
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Improvements in antivirus software have allayed many people's fears about malicious software.
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amalgamate (v)
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to combine into a unified whole
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Six municipalities were amalgamated into the city of Toronto.
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ambrosia (n)
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something delicious, the food of the gods
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The combination of flavors was pure ambrosia.
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ameliorate (v)
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to improve
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Health authorities worked to inhibit the contagion's spread and to ameliorate its effects by issuing warnings.
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amenable (adj)
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agreeable, cooperative
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The young writer is amenable to suggestions for improving her style.
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anachronism (n)
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something out of the proper time
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The retirement age of 65 can be seen as an anachronism due to longer life expectancies.
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analgesic (n)
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medication that reduces or eliminates pain
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Asprin is an analgesic.
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anodyne (n)
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something that calms or soothes pain
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Some people use alcohol as an anodyne to numb emotional pain.
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anomalous (adj)
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irregular, deviating from the norm
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The psychologist discounted the anomalous behavior of the soldier, saying it was an effect of battle stress.
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antecedent (n)
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something that comes before
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antediluvian (adj)
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prehistoric
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antipathy (n)
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dislike, hostility
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Heathcliff feels great antipathy for Edgar Linton.
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apothegm (n)
AP-uh-them |
a witty saying
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""power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
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appellation (n)
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name
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Bones were discovered from a person with the appellation Kennewick Man in the state of Washington.
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apposite (adj)
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strikingly appropriate and relevant
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The write searched two dictionaries before finding the perfectly apposite word.
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appraise (v)
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to inform
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The biography kept the reader appraised of the racism black Americans had to endure.
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approbation (n)
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praise, approval
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The medal of honor is the highest approbation a soldier can receive.
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appropriate (v)
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to take possession for one's own use, confiscate
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The army appropriated supplies from the houses.
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apropos (adj)
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relevant
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Apropos of nothing, the speaker declared that the purpose of life is love.
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ardor (n)
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great emotion or passion
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argot (n)
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a specialized vocabulary used by a group
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Writers of crime fiction often use the argot of criminals and detectives.
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artless (adj)
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guileless, natural
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"Such artless beauty lies in Shakespeare's wit..."
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ascetic (n)
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one who practices self-denial
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Muslim ascetics consider the internal battle against human passions a greater jihad than the struggle against infidels.
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asperity (n)
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severity, harshness, irritability
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Something can be said with asperity.
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aspersion (n)
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slander, false rumor
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Singapore responds strongly to those who cast aspersions on the integrity
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assiduous (adj)
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diligent, hard-working
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The assiduous people of Hong Kong
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assuage (v)
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to make less severe
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"I pray that God may assuage the anguish of your bereavement..."
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astringent (adj)
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harsh, severe
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Bob uses an astringent aftershave to stop the bleeding.
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atavism (n)
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return of a trait after a period of absence
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Some political theorists reject nationalism as a tribal atavism
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attenuate (v)
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to weaken
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Modern digital radio equipment allows even signals that have been greatly attenuated to be transmitted.
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avarice (n)
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greed
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Successful investment bankers are sometimes accused of avarice.
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aver (v)
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to affirm, declare to be true
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Yogis aver that everyone has a guru.
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avocation (n)
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secondary occupation
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Don became so proficient at his avocation that he is thinking of giving up his job to do it full time.
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avuncular (adj)
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like an uncle, benevolent and tolerant
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Walter had an avuncular manner that made him a trusted personality.
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antidiluvaian (adj)
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prehistoric
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antipathy (n)
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dislike
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apothegm (n) (AP-uh-them)
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a terse, witty saying
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appellation (n)
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name
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apposite (adj)
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strikingly appropriate and relevant
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apprise (v)
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inform
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approbation (n)
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praise; approval
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appropriate (v)
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to take possession for one's own use; confiscate
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apropos (adj)
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relevant
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arabesque (n)
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ornate design
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ardor (n)
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great emotion or passion
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arduous (adj)
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extremely difficult
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