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37 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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abbreviate (verb)
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To make briefer, to shorten.
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The speaker was forced to abbreviate his remarks.
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aberration (noun)
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A deviation from what is normal or natural, an abnormality.
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Jack's extravagant lunch was an aberration from his usual meal.
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abeyance (noun)
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A temporary lapse in activity; suspension.
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In the aftermath of the bombing, all normal activities were held in abeyance.
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abjure (verb)
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To renounce or reject; to officially disclaim.
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Galileo abjured all his writings holding that the Earth revolved around the sun.
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abrade (verb)
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To irritate by rubbing; to wear down in spirit.
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The skin cream abraded Sara's skin so severely that she vowed never to use it again.
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abridge (verb)
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To shorten, to reduce.
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The Bill of Rights is designed to prevent Congress from adridging the rights of Americans.
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abrogate (verb)
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To nullify, to abolish.
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During WWII, the US abrogated the rights of Japanese Americans by holding them in internment camps.
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abscond (verb)
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To make a secret departure, to elope.
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Theresa will never forgive, Lisa , for absconding to Miami with Joe when they were only 17.
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accretion (noun)
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A gradual build-up or enlargement.
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My mother's house is a mess due to her steady accretion of bric-a-brac.
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adjunct (noun)
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Something added to another thing, but not a part of it; an associate or assistant.
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Felix was adjunct to Professor Todd during his experiments, but he did not receive recognition when the results were published.
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adroit (adjective)
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Skillful, adept
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The writer was particularly adroit at concocting love stories.
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adulterate (verb)
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To corrupt, to make impure
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Murray's free-roaming chickens have not been adulterated with hormones.
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adversary (noun)
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An ememy or opponent.
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The US lost its last major international adversary.
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aesthete (noun)
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Someone devoted to beauty and to beautiful things.
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A renowned aesthete, Oscar Wilde was part of a group that glorified beauty.
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affability (noun)
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The quality of being easy to talk to and gracious.
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Affability is a much desired trait in any profession.
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affected (adjective)
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False, artificial.
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At one time, Japanese women were taught to speak in a affected high-pitched voice.
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affinity (noun)
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A feeling of shared attration, kinship; a similarity.
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People often say there is a striking affinity between dogs and their owners.
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aggrandize (verb)
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To make bigger or greater; to inflate.
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The major of New York City was renowned for aggrandizing his accomplishments.
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agitation (noun)
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A disturbance; a disturbing feeling of upheaval and excitement.
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After the CEO announced the coming layoffs, the employees' agitation was evident.
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alias (noun)
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An assumed name.
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Harold went under the alias "Harry" when playing in the band.
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allegiance (noun)
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Loyalty or devotion shown to a group, person or cause.
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Forty-three new Americans swore allegiance to the United States.
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allocate (verb)
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To apportion for a specific purpose; to distribute.
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The school administration did not allocate enough funds for the school dance.
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amalgamate (verb)
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To blend thoroughly.
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The tendency of grains to sort when they should mix makes it difficult for manufacturers to create powders that are amalgamated.
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ameliorate (verb)
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To make something better or more tolerable.
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The living conditions of the tenants were certainly ameliorated when the landlord installed washers and dryers.
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arid (adjective)
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Very dry; boring and meaningless.
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The arid climate of Arizona makes farming difficult.
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articulate (adjective)
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To express oneself clearly and effectively.
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Bill Clinton was considered a highly articulate president.
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asperity (noun)
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Harshness, severity.
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Total silence at the dinner table, baths in icy water - these practices all contributed to the asperity of life in the monastery.
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assail (verb)
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To attack with blows or words.
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The president's decision for military intervention in Iraq was assailed by many.
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assay (verb)
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To analyze for particular components; to determine weight, quality, etc.
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The jeweler assayed the stone pendant Gwen inhereted from her mother.
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assimilate (verb)
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To absorb into a system or culture.
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NYC has assimilated one group of immigrants after another.
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assuage (verb)
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To ease, to pacify.
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Knowing that the pilot's record was perfect did little to assuage Lynn's fear of flying.
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audacious (adjective)
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Bold, daring, adventurous.
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Her plan to cross the Atlantic in a twelve-foot sailboat was audacious.
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authoritarian (adjective)
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Favoring or demanding blind obedience to leaders.
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The American government has sometimes supported authoritarian regimes in other countries.
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authoritative (adjective)
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Official, conclusive.
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Many American parents regarded Doctor Spock as the most authoritative voice on child care.
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avenge (verb)
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To exact a punishment for or on behalf of someone.
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In Hamlet, the ghost of the dead king of Denmark urges his son to avenge his murder.
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aver (verb)
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To claim to be true; to avouch.
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The fact that the key witness averred the defendant's innocence is what ultimately swayed the jury.
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avow (verb)
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To declare bodly.
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After Cyrus avowed his atheism at the church fundraiser the crowd became quiet.
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