Kaplan's Sat Vocab (P)

Front 1

paean

Back 1

n. a tribute, a song or expression of praise

Front 2

palatial

Back 2

adj. relating to a palace; magnificent

Front 3

palimpsest

Back 3

n. an object or place having diverse layers or aspects beneath the surface

Front 4

palpable

Back 4

adj. capable of being touched or felt; easily perceived

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paltry

Back 5

adj. pitifully small or worthless

Front 6

panache

Back 6

n. flamboyance or dash in style and action

Front 7

pandemic

Back 7

adj. occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting a large portion of the population

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panegyric

Back 8

n. elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise

Front 9

paradigm

Back 9

n. an outstandingly clear or typical example
Also - a way of viewing things

Front 10

paragon

Back 10

n. a model of excellence or perfection

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paramount

Back 11

adj. supreme, of chief importance

Front 12

pare

Back 12

v. to trim off excess, reduce

Front 13

pariah

Back 13

n. an outcast

Front 14

patent

Back 14

adj. obvious, evident

Front 15

pathogenic

Back 15

adj. causing disease

Front 16

patrician

Back 16

adj. aristocratic

Front 17

patronize

Back 17

v. to act as a patron of, to adopt an air of condescension toward; to buy from

Front 18

peculate

Back 18

v. to embezzle

Front 19

pecuniary

Back 19

adj. relating to money

Front 20

pellucid

Back 20

adj. transparently clear in style

Front 21

penchant

Back 21

n. an inclination, a definite liking

Front 22

penitent

Back 22

adj. expressing sorrow for sins or offenses, repentant

Front 23

penury

Back 23

n. an oppressive lack of resources (as money), severe poverty

Front 24

peregrinate

Back 24

v. to travel on foot

Front 25

phalanx

Back 25

n. a compact or close-knit body or people, animals, or things

Front 26

philistine

Back 26

n. a person who is guided by materialism and is disdainful of intellectual or artistic values

Front 27

philology

Back 27

n. the study of ancient texts and languages

Front 28

phlegmatic

Back 28

adj. having a sluggish, unemotional temperament

Front 29

pique

Back 29

v. to arouse anger or resentment in; provoke

Front 30

plaintive

Back 30

adj. expressive of suffering or woe, melancholy

Front 31

platitude

Back 31

n. overused and trite remark

Front 32

plebeian

Back 32

adj. crude or coarse; characteristic of commoners

Front 33

plucky

Back 33

adj. courageous, spunky

Front 34

politic

Back 34

adj. shrewd and crafty in managing or dealing with things

Front 35

polyglot

Back 35

n. a speaker of many languages

Front 36

pore

Back 36

v. to read studiously or attentively

Front 37

portentous

Back 37

adj. foreshadowing, ominous; eliciting amazement and wonder

Front 38

posit

Back 38

v. to assume as real or conceded; propose as an explanation

Front 39

potable

Back 39

adj. suitable for drinking

Front 40

potentate

Back 40

n. a ruler; one who wields great power

Front 41

precarious

Back 41

adj. lacking in security or stability; dependent on chance or uncertain conditions

Front 42

precipitous

Back 42

adj. steep, hasty

Front 43

presage

Back 43

n. something that foreshadows; a feeling of what will happen in the future

Front 44

prestidigitation

Back 44

n. a cleverly executed trick or deception; sleight of hand

Front 45

preternatural

Back 45

adj. existing outside of nature; extraordinary; supernatural

Front 46

primeval

Back 46

adj. ancient, primitive

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prodigal

Back 47

adj. recklessly extravagant, wasteful

Front 48

proffer

Back 48

v. to offer for acceptance

Front 49

progenitor

Back 49

n. an ancestor in the direct line, forefather; founder

Front 50

proliferate

Back 50

v. to grow by rapid production of new parts; increase in number

Front 51

promulgate

Back 51

v. to make known by open declaration, proclaim

Front 52

propensity

Back 52

n. a natural inclination or preference

Front 53

prosaic

Back 53

adj. relating to prose (as opposed to poetry); dull, ordinary

Front 54

proscribe

Back 54

v. to condemn or forbid as harmful or unlawful

Front 55

prostrate

Back 55

adj. lying face downward in adoration or submission

Front 56

provincial

Back 56

adj. limited in outlook; narrow, unsophisticated

Front 57

proxy

Back 57

n. a person authorized to act for someone else

Front 58

pseudonym

Back 58

n. a fictitious name, used particularly by writers to conceal identity

Front 59

pugilism

Back 59

n. boxing

Front 60

puissant

Back 60

adj. powerful

Front 61

punctilious

Back 61

adj. concerned with precise details about codes or conventions

Front 62

pundit

Back 62

n. one who gives opionions in an authoritative manner

Front 63

purloin

Back 63

v. to steal

Front 64

purport

Back 64

v. to profess, suppose, claim