Kaplan Word List #012 (Buffet - Capricious)

Front 1

buffet

Back 1

to toss about

Hint 1

The swing, buffeted by the wind, smashed into the tree and broke.

Front 2

buffoon

Back 2

clown or fool

Hint 2

The boy was known as the school buffoon, so he wasn't taken seriously as a candidate for class president.

Front 3

bulwark

Back 3

defense wall; anything serving as defense

Hint 3

The villagers used logs to construct a bulwark against the invading army.

Front 4

burgeon

Back 4

to sprout or flourish

Hint 4

We will need major subway expansion to accommodate the burgeoning population of the city.

Front 5

burly

Back 5

brawny, husky

Hint 5

Freddy was a bit intimidated by the tall, burly man standing by the bar.

Front 6

burnish

Back 6

to polish, make smooth and bright

Hint 6

Mr. Frumpkin loved to stand in the sun and burnish his luxury car until it gleamed.

Front 7

bursar

Back 7

treasurer

Hint 7

For billing concerns, please contact the bursar via telephone or e-mail.

Front 8

bustle

Back 8

commotion, energetic activity

Hint 8

The bustle of the crowd made Andrea remember how much she hated Christmas shopping.

Front 9

butt

Back 9

person or thing that is object of ridicule

Hint 9

Chip's unusual haircut made him the butt of jokes at the high school prom.

Front 10

buttress

Back 10

to reinforce or support

Hint 10

The construction workers attempted to buttress the ceiling with pillars.

Front 11

byway

Back 11

back road

Hint 11

During rush hour, it is wise to use the byway and avoid the traffic.

Front 12

cacophony

Back 12

jarring, unpleasant noise

Hint 12

The junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable cacophony as they tried to tune their instruments.

Front 13

cadence

Back 13

rhythmic flow of poetry; marching beat

Hint 13

Pierre spoke with a lovely cadence, charming all those who heard him.

Front 14

cajole

Back 14

to flatter, coax, persuade

Hint 14

The spoiled girl could cajole her father into buying her anything.

Front 15

calamitous

Back 15

disastrous, catastrophic

Hint 15

Everyone hoped this year's event would be less calamitous than last year's fiasco.

Front 16

callous

Back 16

thick-skinned, insensitive

Hint 16

Mrs. Meriwether callously ignored the pathetic whining of the injured puppy.

Front 17

callow

Back 17

immature, lacking sophistication

Hint 17

The young and callow fans hung on every word the talk show host said.

Front 18

calumny

Back 18

false and malicious accusation, misrepresentation, slander

Hint 18

The unscrupulous politician used calumny to bring down his opponent in the senatorial race.

Front 19

candor

Back 19

honesty of expression

Hint 19

The candor of his confession impressed his parents, and they gave him a light punishment as a result.

Front 20

canny

Back 20

smart; founded on common sense

Hint 20

The executive's canny business sense saved the company from bankruptcy.

Front 21

canonize

Back 21

to declare a person a saint; raise to highest honors

Hint 21

Discrimination may be the reason certain authors have not been canonized by the literary establishment.

Front 22

canvass

Back 22

to examine thoroughly; conduct a poll

Hint 22

After canvassing people for months, the market researchers finally tabulated the results.

Front 23

capacious

Back 23

large, roomy; extensive

Hint 23

We wondered how many hundreds of stores occupied the capacious mall.

Front 24

capitulate

Back 24

to submit completely, surrender

Hint 24

After atom bombs devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese had little choice but to capitulate.

Front 25

capricious

Back 25

impulsive, whimsical, without much thought

Hint 25

Queen Elizabeth I was quite capricious; her courtiers could never be sure who would catch her fancy.