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120 Cards in this Set

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talisman
charm
She wore the talisman to ward off evil.
umbrage
resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult
She took umbrage at his remarks and stormed away in a huff.
vagrant
stray; random
He tried to study, but could not collect his vagrant thoughts.
waive
give up temporarily; yield
I will waive my rights in this matter in order to expedite our reaching a proper decision.
yoke
join together; unite
I don't wish to be yoked to him in marriage, as if we were cattle pulling a plow.
zephyr
gentle breeze; west wind
When these zephyrs blow, it is good to be in an open boat under a full sail.
aberrant*
abnormal or deviant
Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment.
bait
harass; tease
The school bully baited the smaller children, terrorizing them.
cadence
rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds); beat
Marching down the road, the troops sang out, following the cadence set by the sergeant.
dapper
neat and trim
In The Odd Couple, Tony Randall played Felix Unger, an excessively dapper soul who could not stand to have a hair out of place.
ecclesiastic
pertaining to the church
The minister donned his ecclesiastic garb and walked to the pulpit.
facilitate*
help bring about; make less difficult
Rest and proper nourishment should facilitate the patient's recovery.
gale
windstorm; gust of wind; emotional outburst (laughter, tears)
The Weather Channel warned viewers about a rising gale, with winds of up to 60 miles per hour.
halcyon
calm; peaceful
In those halcyon days, people were not worried about sneak attacks and bombings.
idiosyncrasy, idiosyncratic
individual trait, usually odd in nature; eccentricity
One of Richard Nixon's little idiosyncrasies was his liking for ketchup on cottage cheese. One of Hannibal Lecter's little idiosyncrasies was his liking for human flesh.
jaunty
lighthearted; animated; easy and carefree
In Singing in the Rain, Gene Kelly sang and danced his way through the lighthearted title number in a properly jaunty style.
kindred
related; similar in nature or character
Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were two kindred spirits.
lackadaisical
lacking purpose or zest; halfhearted; languid
Because Gatsby had his mind more on his love life than on his finances, he did a very lackadaisical job of managing his money.
maculated
spotted; stained
Instead of writing that Gobachev had a birthmark on his forehead, the pompous young poet sang of the former premier's maculated brow.
natty
neatly or smartly dressed
Priding himself on being a natty dresser, the gangster Bugsy Siegel collected a wardrobe of imported suits and ties.
obfuscate
confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex
Was the president's spokesman trying to clarify the Whitewater mystery, or was he trying to obfuscate the issue so the voters would never figure out what went on?
palatable
agreeable; pleasing to the taste
Neither Jack's underbaked opinions nor his overcooked casseroles were palatable to me.
quaint
odd; old-fashioned; picturesque
Her quaint clothes and old-fashioned language marked her as an eccentric.
rakish
stylish; sporty
He wore his hat at a rakish and jaunty angle.
saga
Scandinavian myth; any legend
This is a saga of the sea and the men who risk their lives on it.
tangential*
peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing
Despite Clark's attempts to distract her with tangential remarks, Lois kept on coming back to her main question: Why couldn't he come out to dinner with Superman and her?
unaccountable
inexplicable; unreasonable or mysterious
I have taken an unaccountable dislike to my doctor: "I do not love thee, Doctor Fell. The reason why, I cannot tell."
vagrant, vagrancy
homeless wanderer
Because he was a stranger in town with no visible means of support, Martin feared he would be jailed as a vagrant.
wake
trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before
The wake of the swan gliding through the water glistened in the moonlight. Reporters and photographers converged on South Carolina in the wake of the hurricane that devastated much of the eastern seaboard.
yokel
country bumpkin
Although her older sisters both had married farmers, Rita rejected the notion of marrying some uncultivated yokel.
aberration
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.
baleful
threatening; meanacing; sinister; foreshadowing evil
The bully's baleful glare across the classroom warned Tim to expect trouble after school. Blood-red in color, the plant Mars has long been associated with warfare and slaughter because of its ominous, baleful appearance.
cadge
beg; mooch; panhandle
While his car was in the shop, Bob had to cadge a ride to work each day. Unwilling to be a complete moocher, however, he offered to pay for the gas.
dappled
spotted
The sunlight filtering through the screens created a dappled effect on the wall.
eclectic*, eclecticism
selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources
His style of interior decoration was eclectic: bits and pieces of furnishing from widely divergent periods, strikingly juxtaposed to create a unique decor.
facsimile
copy
Many museums sell facsimiles of the works of art on display.
gall
bitterness; nerve
The knowledge of his failure filled him with gall.
hale
healthy
After a brief illness, he was soon hale.
idolatry*
worship of idols; excessive admiration
Such idolatry of singers of country music is typical of the excessive enthusiasm of youth.
jeopardize, jeopardy
endanger; imperil; put at risk
You can't give me a D in chemistry; you'll jeopardize my chances of being admitted to M.I.T.
kinetic
producing motion
Designers of the electric automobile find that their greatest obstacle lies in the development of light and efficient storage batteries, the source of the kinetic energy needed to propel the vehicle.
lackluster
dull
We were disappointed by the lackluster performance.
madrigal
pastoral song
Her program of folk songs included several madrigals that she sang to the accompaniment of a lute.
nauseate
cause to become sick; fill with disgust
The foul smells began to nauseate her.
obituary
death notice
I first learned of her death when I read the obituary in the newspaper.
palate
roof of the mouth; sense of taste
When you sound out the letter "d", your tongue curves up to touch the edge of your palate. When Alice was sick, her mother made special means to tempt her palate.
qualified* (secondary meaning)
limited; restricted
Unable to give the candidate full support, the mayor gave him only a qualified endorsement.
rally
call up or summon (forces, vital powers, etc.); revive or recuperate
Washington quickly rallied his troops to fight off the British attack. The patient had been sinking throughout the night, but at dawn she rallied and made a complete recovery.
sagacious, sagacity
perceptive; shrewd; having insight
My father was a sagacious judge of character; he could spot a phony a mile away.
tangible
able to be touched; real; palpable
Although Tom did not own a house, he had several tangible assets -- a car, a television, a PC -- that he could sell if he needed cash.
unanimity, unanimous
complete agreement
We were surprised by the unanimity with which our proposals were accepted by the different groups.
vainglorious
boastful; excessively conceited
She was a vainglorious and arrogant individual.
wallow
roll in; indulge in; became helpless
The hippopotamus loves to wallow in the mud.
yore
time past
She dreamed of the elegant homes of yore, but gave no thought to their inelegant plumbing.
abet
assist, usually in doing something wrong; encourage
She was unwilling to abet him in the swindle he had planned.
balk
stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue
The chief of police balked at sending his officers into the riot-torn area.
cajole, cajolery
coax; wheedle
Cher tried to cajole her father into letting her drive the family car.
daub
smear (as with paint)
From the way he daubed his paint on the canvas, I could tell he knew nothing of oils.
eclipse
darken; extinguish; surpass
The new stock market high eclipsed the previous record set in 1985.
faction
party; clique; dissension
The quarrels and bickering of the two small factions within the club disturbed the majority of the members.
gall
annoy; chafe
Their taunts galled him.
hallowed
blessed; consecrated
Although the dead girl's parents had never been active churchgoers, they insisted that their daughter be buried in hallowed ground.
idyllic
charmingly carefree; simple
Far from the city, she led an idyllic existence in her rural retreat.
jettison
throw overboard
In order to enable the ship to ride safely through the storm, the captain had to jettison much of his cargo.
kismet
fate
Kismet is the Arabic word for "fate".

laconic*
brief and to the point
Many of the characters, portrayed by Clint Eastwood are laconic types: strong men of few words.
maelstrom
whirlpool
The canoe was tossed about in the maelstrom.
nautical
pertaining to ships or navigation
The Maritime Museum contains models of clipper ships, logbooks, anchors, and many other items of a nautical nature.
objective
not influenced by emotions; fair
Even though he was her son, she tried to objective about his behavior.
palatial
magnificent
He proudly showed us through his palatial home.
qualms
misgivings; uneasy fears, especially about matters of conscience
I have no qualms about giving this assignment to Helen; I know she will handle it admirably.
ramble
wander aimlessly (physically or mentally)
Listening to the teacher ramble, Judy wondered whether he'd ever get to his point.
sage*
person celebrated for wisdom
Hearing tales of a mysterious Master of All Knowledge who lived in the hills of Tibet, Sandy was possessed with a burning desire to consult the legendary sage.
tanner
person who turns animal hides into leather
Using a solution of tanbark, the tanner treated the cowhide, transforming it into supple leather.
unassailable
not subject to question; not open to attack
Penelope's virtue was unassailable; while she waited for her husband to come back from the war, no other guy had a chance.
valedictory
pertaining to farewell
I found the valedictory address too long; leave-taking should be brief.
wan
having a pale or sickly color; pallid
Suckling asked, "Why so pale and wan, fond love?"
abeyance*
suspended action
The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival.
balk
foil
When the warden learned that several inmates were planning to escape, he took steps to balk their attempt.
calamity
disaster; misery
As news of the calamity spread, offers of relief poured in to the stricken community.
daunt*
intimidate; frighten
"Boast all you like of your prowess. Mere words cannot daunt me," the hero answered the villain.
ecologist
person concerned with the interrelationship between living organisms and their environment
The ecologist was concerned that the new dam would upset the natural balance of the creatures living in Glen Canyon.
factious
inclined to form factions; causing dissension
The pollsters' practice of dividing up the map of America into Red and Blue states reinforces factious feelings among Americans, who increasingly define themselves as members of one of the two major political parties. Do not confuse factious with fractious (unruly, unmanageable) or with factitious (not natural; not genuine; bogus).
galleon
large sailing ship
The Spaniards pinned their hopes on the galleon, the large warship; the British, on the smaller and faster pinnace.
hallucination
delusion
I think you were frightened by a hallucination that you created in your own mind.
igneous
produced by fire; volcanic
Lava, pumice, and other igneous rocks are found in great abundance around Mount Vesuvius near Naples.
jibe
agree; be in harmony with
Moe says Curly started the fight; Curly insists it was Moe. Their stories just don't jibe.
kleptomaniac
person who has a compulsive desire to steal
They discovered that the wealthy customer was a kleptomaniac when they caught her stealing some cheap trinkets.
laggard, lag
slow; sluggish
The sailor had been taught not to be laggard in carrying out orders.
magisterial
authoritative; imperious
The learned doctor laid down the law to his patient in a magisterial tone of voice.
navigable
wide and deep enough to allow ships to pass through; able to be steered
So much sand had built up at the bottom of the canal that the waterway was barely navigable.
objective
goal; aim
A degree in medicine was her ultimate objective.
paleontology
study of prehistoric life
The professor of paleontology had a superb collection of fossils.
quandary
dilemma
When both Harvard and Stanford accepted Laura, she was in a quandary as to which school she should attend.
ramification
branching out; subdivision
We must examine all the ramifications of this problem.
salacious
lascivious; lustful
Chaucer's monk is not pious but salacious, a taller of lewd tales and ribald jests.
tantalize
tease; torture with disappointment
Tom loved to tantalize his younger brother with candy; he knew the boy was forbidden to have it.
unassuaged
unsatisfied; not soothed
His anger is unassuaged by your apology.
valid
logically convincing; sound; legally acceptable
You're going to have to come up with a better argument if you want to convince me that your reasoning is valid.
wanderlust
strong longing to travel
Don't set your heart on a traveling man. He's got too much wanderlust to settle down.
abhor, abhorrence
detest; hate
She abhorred all forms of bigotry.
ballast
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 back on an even keel.
calculated
deliberately planned; likely
Lexy's choice of clothes to wear to the debate tournament was carefully calculated. Her conventional suit was calculated to appeal to the conservative judges.
dauntless
bold
Despite the dangerous nature of the undertaking, the dauntless soldier volunteered for the assignment.
economy
efficiency or conciseness in using something (secondary meaning)
Reading the epigrams of Pope, I admire the economy of his verse: in few words he conveys worlds of meaning.
factitious
artificial; sham
Hollywood actresses often create factitious tears by using glycerine.
galvanize
stimulate by shock; stir up; revitalize
News that the prince was almost at their door galvanized the ugly stepsisters into a frenzy of combing and primping.
halting
hesitant; faltering
Novice extemporaneous speakers often talk in a halting fashion as they grope for the right words.
ignite
kindle; light
When Desi crooned, "Baby, light my fire," literal-minded Lucy looked around for some paper to ignite.
jingoist, jingoism
extremely aggressive and militant patriot; warlike chauvinist
Always bellowing "America first!" the congressman was such a jingoist you could almost hear the sabers rattling as he marched down the halls.
knave, knavery
untrustworthy person; rogue; scoundrel
Any politician nicknamed Tricky Dick clearly has the reputation of a knave.
lagoon
shallow body of water near a sea; lake
They enjoyed their swim in the calm lagoon.
magnanimity*, magnanimous
generosity
Noted for his magnanimity, philanthropist Eugene Lang donated millions to charity.
nebulous
vague; hazy; cloudy
Phil and Dave tried to come up with a clear, intelligible business plan, not some hazy, nebulous proposal.
obligatory
binding; required
It is obligatory that books borrowed from the library be returned within two weeks.
palette
board on which a painter mixes pigments
At the present time, art supply stores are selling a paper palette that may be discarded after use.
quarantine
isolation of a person, place, or ship to prevent spread of infection
We will have to place this house under quarantine until we determine the exact nature of the disease.
ramify
divide into branches or subdivisions
When the plant begins to ramify, it is advisable to rip off most of the new branches.
salient
prominent
One of the salient features of that newspaper is its excellent editorial page.
tantamount
equivalent in effect or value
Because so few Southern blacks could afford to pay the poll tax, the imposition of this tax on prospective voters was tantamount to disenfranchisement for black voters.