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109 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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ABET
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v.
Assist; usually in doing something wrong; encourage She was unwilling to abet him in the swinle he had planned. |
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ABEYANCE
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n.
suspended action The deal was held in abeyancy until her arrival. |
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N.
ABNEGATION |
renunciation; self-sacrifice
Richard and Liza's act of abnegation was necessary to preserve the kingdom. |
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V.
ABOMINATE |
loathe; hate
Moses scolded the idol worshippers in the tribe because he abominated the custom. |
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V.
ABJURE N. ABJURATION |
renounce upon oath
He abjured his allegiance to the king. |
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N. ACCLIVITY
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Sharp upslope of a hill.
The car should not go up the acclivity in high gear. |
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ACTUARIAL ADJ.
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Calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics.
According to recent actuarial tables, life expectancy is greater today than it was a century ago. |
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ACUMEN N.
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Mental keeness
Her business acumen helped her to succeed where others had failed. |
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ACCRETION N.
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Growth; increase
Over the years Bob put on weight; because of this accretion of flesh, he went from size M to size XL |
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ACUATE V.
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Motivate
I fail to understand what acuated you to reply to this letter so nastily. |
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ALIMENTARY ADJ.
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Supplying nourishment
The alimentary canal in our bodies is so named because digestion of foods occur there. |
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ADULTERATE (V)
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Make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances
It is a crime to adulterate foods without informing the buyer. |
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APOTHEGM (N)
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Pithy, compact saying.
Proverbs are apothegms that have become familiar sayings. |
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APOTHEOSIS
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N. Elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something.
The apotheosis of a Roman emperor was designed ensure his eternal greatness. The hero of the novel Gen X was the apotheosis of a slacker, the quintessential example of a member of his generation. |
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APELLATION
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N. Name; title.
Macbeth was startled when the witches greeted him with an incorrect appellation. |
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APPLICATION
(secondary meaning) |
N. Diligent attention.
Pleased with how well Tom had whitewashed the fence, Aunt Polly praised him for his application. V. APPLY |
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APPOSITE
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ADJ. Appropriate; fitting.
She was always able to find the apposite phrase, the correct expression for every occasion. |
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APPROBATION (N)
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Approval.
Wanting her parents' regard, she looked for some sign of their approbation. |
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APPROPRIATE
(verb) |
V. Acquire; take possession of for one's own use.
The ranch owners appropriated the lands that had originally been set aside for the Indians' use. |
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APPURTENANCES
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N. Subordinate possessions.
He bought the estate and all its appurtenances. |
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APROPOS
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PREP. With reference to; regarding.
I find your remarks apropos of the present situation timely and pertinent. (also ADJ. and ADV.) |
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ARABLE
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ADJ. Fit for growing crops
The first settlers wrote home glowing reports of the New World, praising its vast acres of arable land ready to plow. |
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ARBITER
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N. Person with power to decide a matter in dispute; judge.
As an arbiter in labor disputes, she has won confidence of the workers and employers. |
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ARBITRARY
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ADJ. Unreasonable or capricious; tyrannical.
The coach claimed the team lost because the umpire made some arbitrary calls. |
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ARBORETUM
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N. Place where different varieties of trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited.
Walking along the treelined paths of the arboretum, Rita noted poplars, firs, and particularly fine sycamores. |
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ARCANE
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ADJ. Secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated.
Secret brotherhoods surround themselves with arcane rituals and trappings to mystify outsiders. So do doctors. Consider the arcane terminology they use and the impression they try to give that what is arcane to us is obvious to them. |
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ARGOT
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N. Slang.
In the argot of the underworld, she "was taken for a ride." |
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ARIA
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N. Operatic solo.
At her Metropolitan opera audition, Marian Anderson sang an aria from Norma. |
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ARRAIGN
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V. Charge in court; indict.
After his indictment by the Grand Jury, the accused man was arraigned in the County Criminal Court. |
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ARRAY
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V. Clothe; adorn.
She liked to watch her mother array herself in her finest clothes before going out for the evening. Also N, |
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ARREARS
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N. Being in debt.
He was in arrears with his child support payments. |
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ARRHYTHMIC
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ADJ. Lacking rhythm or regularity.
The doctors feared his arrhythmic heartbeat might be the first symptom of an imminent heart attack. N. Arrhythmia |
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ARTIFICE
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N. Deception; trickery.
The Trojan War proved to the Greeks that cunning and artifice were often more effective than military might. |
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ARTLESS
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ADJ. Without guile; open and honest.
Red Riding Hood's artless comment, "Grandma, what big eyes you have!" indicates the child's innocent surprise at her "grandmother's" changed appearance. |
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ASCENDANCY
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N. Controlling influence.
President Marcos failed to maintain his ascendancy over the Philippines. |
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ASCETIC
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ADJ. Practicing self-denial; austere.
The wealthy, self-indulgent young man felt oddly drawn to the strict, ascetic lie led by members of some monastic orders. Also N. N. Asceticism |
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ASKANCE
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ADJ. With a sideways or indirect look.
Looking askance at her questioner, she displayed her scorn. |
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ASPIRANT
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N. Seeker after position or status.
Although I am an aspirant for public office, I am not willing to accept the dictates of the party bosses. Also ADJ. |
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ASSAY
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V. Analyze; evaluate.
When they assayed the ore, they found that they had discovered a very rich vein Also N. |
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ASSIDUOUS
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ADJ. Diligent.
It took Rembrandt weeks of assiduous labor before he was satisfied with his portrait of his son. |
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ASSIMILATE
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V. Absorb; cause to become homogenous.
The manner in which the US was able to assimilate the hordes of immigrants during the nineteenth and early part of the twentieth centuries will always be a source of pride. |
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ASSUAGE
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V. Ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger).
Jilted by Jane, Dick tried to assuage his heartache by indulging in ice cream. One gallon later, he had assuaged his appetite but not his grief. N. ASSUAGEMENT |
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ASSUMPTION
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N. Something taken for granted; the taking over or taking possession of.
The young princess made the foolish assumption that the regent would not object to her assumption of power. V. ASSUME |
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ASTRAL
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ADJ. Relating to the stars.
She was amazed at the number of astral bodies the new telescope revealed. |
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ASTRINGENT
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ADJ. Binding; causing contraction; harsh or severe.
The astringent quality of the unsweetened lemon juice made swallowing difficult. |
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ASTUTE
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ADJ. Wise; shrewd; keen.
The painter was an astute observer, noticing every tiny detail of her model's appearance and knowing exactly how important each one was. |
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ATAVISM
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N. Resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type; throwback.
In his love for gardening, Martin seemed an atavism to his Tuscan ancestors who lavished great care on their small plots of soil. ADJ. ATAVISTIC |
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ATROPHY
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N. Wasting away.
Polio victims need physiotherapy to prevent the atrophy of affected limbs. Also. V. |
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ATTENTIVE
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ADJ. Alert and watchful; considerate; thoughtful.
Spellbound, the attentive audience watched the final game of the tennis match, never taking their eyes from the ball. A cold wind sprang up; Stan's attentive daughter slipped a sweater over his shoulders without distracting his attention from the game. |
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ATTENUATE (V)
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Make thin; weaken.
By withdrawing their forces, the generals hoped to attenuate the enemy lines. |
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ATTEST
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V. Testify; bear witness.
Having served as a member of a grand jury, I can attest that our system of indicting individuals is in need of improvement. |
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ATTRIBUTE
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N. Essential quality.
His outstanding attribute was his kindness. |
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ATTRIBUTE
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V. Ascribe; explain.
I attribute her success in science to the encouragement she received from her parents. |
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ATTRITION
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N. Gradual decrease in numbers; 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. Rather than fire staff members, church leaders followed a policy of attrition, allowing elderly workers to retire without replacing them. |
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AUGURY (N)
AUGUR (V) |
Omen; prophecy.
He interpreted the departure of the birds as an augury of evil. |
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AURORAL (ADJ)
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Pertaining to the aurora borealis.
The auroral display was spectacular last night. |
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AVUNCULAR (ADJ)
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Like an uncle.
Avuncular pride did not prevent him from noticing his nephew's shortcomings. |
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AWL (N)
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Pointed tool used for piercing.
She used an awl to punch holes in the leather belt she had bought. |
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BACCHANALIAN (ADJ)
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Drunken.
The so-called party at Ed's house was nothing but a bacchanalian orgy. |
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BATE (V)
BATED (ADJ) |
Let down; restrain.
Until it was time to open the presents, the kids had to bate their curiosity. She waited with bated breath. |
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BEDIZEN (V)
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Dress with vulgar finery.
The witch doctors were bedizened in their gaudiest finery. |
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BELLICOSE (ADJ)
BELLICOSITY (N) |
Warlike.
His bellicose disposition aliented his friends. |
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BENISON (N)
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Blessing.
Let us pray that the benison of peace once more shall prevail among the nations of the world. |
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Blandishment (N)
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Flattery.
Despite the salesperson's blandishments, the customer did not buy the outfit. |
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BRINDLED (ADJ)
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Tawny or grayish with streaks or spots.
The puppies were unfortunately brindled; Jack had hoped for animals of uniformed color. |
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BROOK (V)
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Tolerate; endure.
The dean would brook no interference with his disciplinary actions. (Secondary Meaning) |
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BUCOLIC (ADJ)
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Rustic; pastoral.
Filled with browsing cows and sheep, the meadow was a charmingly bucolic sight. |
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BUGABOO (N)
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Bugbear; object of baseless terror.
If we become frightened by such bugaboos, we are no wiser than the birds who fear scarecrows. |
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BULWARK (N)
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Earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends.
The navy is our principal bulwark against invasion. |
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BURGEON (V)
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Grow forth; send out buds.
In the spring, the plants that burgeon are a promise of the beauty that is to come. |
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CABAL (N)
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Small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests.
The cabal was defeated when its scheme was discovered. |
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ABSTEMIOUS (ADJ)
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Sparing in eating and drinking; temperate.
Concerned whether her vegetarian son's abstemious diet provided him with sufficient protein, the worried mom pressed food on him. |
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AVER (V)
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State confidently.
I wish to aver that I am certain of success. |
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COMMENSURATE (ADJ)
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Equal in extent.
Your reward will be commensurate with your effort. |
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FOMENT (V)
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Stir up; instigate.
Sara spread nasty rumors about Jane that fomented trouble in school. Do you think Sara meant to foment such discord? |
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HYPERBOLE (N)
HYPERBOLIC (ADJ) |
Exaggeration; overstatement.
Apple's claim about the new computer are pure hyperbole; no machine is that good! |
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CODA (N)
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Concluding section of a musical or literary composition.
The piece concluded with a distinctive coda that strikingly brought together various motifs. |
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GAINSAY (V)
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Deny.
She was too honest to gainsay the truth of the report. |
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INCHOATE (ADJ)
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Recently begun; rudimentary; elementary.
Before the Creation, the world was an inchoate mass. |
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ONEROUS (ADJ)
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(ADJ) Burdensome.
She asked for an assistant because her work load was too onerous. |
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MISANTHROPE (N)
MISANTHROPIC (ADJ) |
(N) One who hates mankind.
In Gulliver's Travel's, Swift portrays humans as vile, degraded beasts; for this reason, various critics consider him a misanthrope. |
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OBDURATE (ADJ)
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(ADJ) Stubborn.
He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints. |
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GARRULOUS (ADJ)
GARRULITY (N) |
(ADJ) Loquacious; wordy; talkative.
My uncle can out-talk any other three people I know. He is the most garrulous person in Cayuga County. |
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IMPLACABLE (ADJ)
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(ADJ) Incapable of being pacified.
When her father died, Susie was implacable. |
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OBVIATE (V)
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(V) Make unneccessary; get rid of.
I hope this contribution will obviate any need for further collections of funds. |
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OPPROBRIUM (N)
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(N) Infamy; villification.
He refused to defend himself against the slander and approbrium hurled against him by the newspapers; he preferred to rely on his record. |
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PAUCITY (N)
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(N) Scarcity.
They closed the restaurant because the paucity of the customers made it uneconomical to operate. |
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PROBITY (N)
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(N) Incorruptibility; uptightness.
Everyone took his probity for granted; his defalcations, therefore, shocked us all. |
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INURED (ADJ)
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(ADJ) Accustomed; hardened.
She became inured to the Indian heat. |
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DOGMATIC (ADJ)
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(ADJ) Opinionated; arbritrary; doctrinal.
We tried to discourage Tom from being so dogmatic, but never could convince him that his opinions might be wrong. |
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BANAL (ADJ)
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(ADJ) Hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality.
The hack writer's cliches made his comic sketch seem banal. He even resorted to the banality of having someone slip on a banana peel. |
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BURGEON (V)
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(V) Grow forth; send out buds.
In the spring, the plants that burgeon are a promise of the beauty that is to come. |
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BUTTRESS (V) [Also (N)]
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(V) Support; prop up.
Just as architects buttress the walls of cathedrals with flying buttresses debators buttress their arguments with facts. |
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DISPARATE (ADJ)
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(ADJ) Basically different; unrelated.
Unfortunetly, Tony and Tonia have disparate notions of marriage. |
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EBULLIENT (ADJ)
EBULLIENCE (N) |
(ADJ) Showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm.
Amy's ebullient nature could not be repressed; she was always bubbling over with excitement. |
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CHICANERY (N)
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(N) Trickery; deception.
Those sneaky lawyers depended on sheer chicanery to win the case. |
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SALUBRIOUS (ADJ)
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(ADJ) Healthful.
Many people with hay fever move to more salubrious sections of the country during the months of Aug and Sept. |
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SOPORIFIC (ADJ) [Also (N)]
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(ADJ) Sleep causing; marked by sleepiness.
Professor Prince's lectures were so soporific that even he fell asleep in class. |
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EXCULPATE (V)
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(V) Clear from blame.
She was exculpated of the crime when the real criminal confessed. |
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ABERRANT (ADJ)
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(ADJ) Abnormal or deviant.
Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the entire validity of the test. |
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TANGENTIAL (ADJ)
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(ADJ) Peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing.
Despite Clark's attempts to distract her with tangential remarks, Lois kept on coming back to her main question. |
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TORPOR (N)
TORPID (ADJ) |
(N) Lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy.
Throughout the winter, nothing aroused the bear from his torpor. |
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PREVARICATE (V)
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(V) Lie.
Some people believe that to prevaricate in a good cause is justifiable. |
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VITUPERATIVE (ADJ)
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(ADJ) Abusive; scolding.
He became more vituperative as he realized that we were not going to grant him his wish. |
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NOISOME (ADJ)
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(ADJ) Foul smelling; unwholesome.
The noisome atmosphere downwind of the oil refinery not only stank but also damaged the lungs of everyone living in the area. |
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FERMENT (N)
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(N) Agitation; commotion.
With the breakup of the Soviet Union, much of Eastern Europe was in a state of ferment. |
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FERMENT (N) [Also (V)]
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(N) Agitation; commotion.
With the break up of the Soviet Union; much of Eastern Europe was in a state of ferment. |
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DEARTH (N)
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(N) Scarcity.
The dearth of skilled labor compelled the employers to open trade schools. |
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DECADENCE (N)
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(N) Decay.
The moral decadence of the people was reflected in the lewd literature of the period. |
