Sat Vocabulary

Front 1

BULWARK (n) (BULL work)

Back 1

a defensive wall. "Quebec City is the only city in North America with a bulwark built entirely around it.

Front 2

AUGMENT (v) (awg MENT)
Link: CEMENT
"How not to AUGMENT a driveway with CEMENT"

Back 2

to make or become greater.
The king attempted to AUGMENT his army by going into villages and drafting men into service.

Front 3

INCONGRUOUS (adj)
(in KAHN grew us)
Link: IN CONGRESS
"The new Alaskan senator's presence IN CONGRESS was INCONGRUOUS".

Back 3

not appropriate, unsuited to the surroundings; not fitting in.
Ed appeared INCONGRUOUS wearing his tuxedo on an old-fashioned hayride.

Front 4

GOSSAMER (n) (adj)
(GOSS uh Mer)
Link: CUSTOMER
"The spider's GOSSAMER captured many unhappy CUSTOMERS."

Back 4

delicate floating cobwebs; a sheer gauzy fabric; something delicate, light , flimsy.

Front 5

SUCCINT (adj) (sek SINGKT)
Link: SINK
"Virginia was SUCCINT when Ernie forgot to fix the sink"

Back 5

brief and to the point; concise and terse.
The mother's reprimand was SUCCINT but effective.

Front 6

TANTALIZE (TAN tal ize) (v)
Link: SANTA'S LIES
"SANTA'S LIES TANTALIZE"

Back 6

to excite by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach.
The TANTALIZING aroma of the bread made us all hungry.

Front 7

LANGUID (LANG gwid) (adj.)
Link: SQUID
"A LANGUID SQUID"

Back 7

lacking energy; weak; showing little interest in anything. After his bout with the flu, Joe was LANGUID and unable to to workout for over a week.

Front 8

BENIGHTED (be NI tid) (adj)
Link:KNIGHT
"A BENIGHTED KNIGHT."

Back 8

being in a state of intellectual darkness; ignorant; unenlightened.
Many benighted people became enlightened during the renaissance.

Front 9

EXALT (ig ZAWLT) (v)
Link:Salt
"Everyone Exalted the Salt as king of the condiments."

Back 9

to raise high. The fireman was Exalted by the press for saving the child from a burning building.

Front 10

DIRE (DYE ur) (adj)
Link: FIRE
"A DIRE FIRE".

Back 10

disastrous. The hurricane struck the Florida Keys with DIRE results; all the buildings were flattened.

Front 11

KINDLE (KIN dl) (v)
Link: CANDLE
"Patrick found a unique way to KINDLE CANDLES."

Back 11

to cause to burn or ignite. The fire KINDLED when he squirted on some lighter fluid.

Front 12

MYRIAD (MIR ee ud) (v)
Link: MIRROR ADD
"Many MIRRORS ADD a MYRIAD of reflections."

Back 12

many. George was a hypochondriac, weighted down by MYRIAD concerns about his health.

Front 13

RHETORIC (RET or ik) (n)
Link: RENT-A-WRECK
"A salesman's RENT-A-WRECK RHETORIC."

Back 13

art of argument.
A person's use of RHETORIC can indicate much about that person's character.

Front 14

LATENT (LAYT nt) (adj)
Link: LAY TENT
"Never LAY your TENT on a LATENT volcano."

Back 14

hidden potential.
Trent had a LATENT talent as a singer which he didn't discover until he was in his 50's.

Front 15

TRENCHANT (TREN chunt) (adj)
Link: TRENCH ANT
"A TRENCHANT mouth is characteristic of the famous Madagascar TRENCH ANT."

Back 15

cutting, incisive, having a sharp point; caustic, sarcastic. Julia had a TRENCHANT tongue and was always putting her friends down behind their backs.

Front 16

JAUNT (jawnt) (n)
Link: HAUNT
"A JAUNT HAUNT".

Back 16

a short pleasure trip.
The JAUNT was amazingly fantastic and inspiring.

Front 17

VERTIGO (vur tuh GO) (n)
Link: WHERE TO GO
"When test pilot Bob developed a bad case of VERTIGO he didn't know WHERE TO GO".

Back 17

the sensation of dizziness.
I experienced VERTIGO when the roller coaster went into a series of barrel rolls.

Front 18

IMPEDE
Link: SPEED
"The job of highway patrolmen is to IMPEDE SPEEDING motorists".

Back 18

to obstruct or interfere with; to delay. He was only my uncle but he always told me no matter what to not let anyone IMPEDE my ambition to go to medical school.

Front 19

COUNTANANCE (KOWNT uh nanz) (n)
Link: COUNT THE NUTS
"By their facial COUNTENANCE alone it was easy to COUNT THE NUTS."

Back 19

a persons face, especially the expression. The submarine commander's COUNTENANCE belied his true feelings of anxiety and fear.

Front 20

SCRUTINIZE
Link: SCREW EYES
"U.S. Customs officials have SCREW EYES when they SCRUTINIZE baggage."

Back 20

to look very carefully; to examine.
Newspaper proof readers SCRUTINIZE an entire newspaper each day.

Front 21

SPECTER (SPEK ter) (n.)
Link: SPECTACLES
"A SPECTER with SPECTACLES."

Back 21

a ghost. The SPECTER attacked the poor old man

Front 22

PARADOX (PAIR uh dahks)
Link: BEARS OR DUCKS
" The 'are we BEARS or DUCKS' PARADOX."

Back 22

a statement that seems true but at the same time seems to also have an opposite truth.
Dr. Jekyll was often a PARADOX; as soon as you began to understand him, he became Mr. Hyde.

Front 23

Wax (waks)
Synonyms- Extend, grow, Lengthen, Enlarge, Dilate

Back 23

to increase, to increase in the extent of its illuminated portion before the full moon, to grow.

Front 24

Wane (wain) (v.)
Link: Rain
"Snowmen WANE in the RAIN".

Back 24

to decrease gradually.
A WANING interest by theater-goers prompted the theater to shut down.

Front 25

COPIOUS (koh-pee-uhs)
Link: COPS
"COPIOUS COPS devour donuts, waiting for some exitement".

Back 25

Large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful; copious amounts of food. As you read Cold Mountain, you must make copious annotations.

Front 26

Perspicacious (adj.)
Link: Perspiration
Annotating the novel, Perry's perspiration increased while concentrating on perspicacious reading.

Back 26

having incredible mental discernment. Sherlock Holmes is touted for his perspicacity while solving difficult mysteries.

Front 27

Marauder (muh RAWD er)
Link: MA RAIDER
"The fiercest MARAUDERS are MA RAIDERS".

Back 27

raider, intruder. During the Civil War, MARAUDING bands of Confederate guerrillas raided Union supply lines in the Midwest.

Front 28

Cower (KOW ur) (v.)
Link: COW
"Bessie, the COWERING COW, never could stand the sight of her own milk".

Back 28

cringe from fear; to shrink away. When Sheriff Wild Bill Hickok entered the Last Chance Saloon, the villains COWERED in fear.

Front 29

ALOOF (adj) (uh LOOF)
Link: ROOF
"Snowball, the cat, was so ALOOF when guests came she hid on the ROOF".

Back 29

distant. Most everyone thought Theodore ALOOF when actually he was only very shy.

Front 30

Daguerreotype (duh-gair-uh-tahyp)
(n)

Back 30

an obsolete photographic process, invented in 1839, in which a picture made on a silver surface sensitized with iodine was developed by exposure to mercury vapor. The quality of your picture was about as good as an old DAGUERREOTYPE.

Front 31

Precipice (pres Uh pis) (n)

Back 31

a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face. You are on the PRECIPICE of insanity.

Front 32

Shod (shod) (v)

Back 32

a simple past tense and past participle of shoe. "To this accompaniment, the poorly shod of Inman's party climbed over the wall to yank the boots off the dead" (Frazier 13).

Front 33

Droll (drohl) (adj.)

Back 33

amusing in an odd way. The collage-and-paint illustrations of the mice are droll.

Front 34

Forbearance (for BAYR ans) (n.)
Link: FOUR PARENTS
"FOUR PARENTS exhibiting FORBEARANCE".

Back 34

patience. Teachers must FORBEAR when they deal with unruly students.

Front 35

CEREBRAL (suh REE brul) (adj.)
Link: CEREAL
"Eat your CEREAL, so you'll grow up and be CEREBRAL like your father".

Back 35

of or relating to the brain; or intellectual person. Dr. Clark was too CEREBRAL to be a boy scout leader. Instead of saying "pitch your tents over by the cliff," he would confuse everyone with his big words and say, "construct the canvas shelters in the proximity of the promontory."

Front 36

Lament (la MINT) (v.)
Link: CEMENT
"We LAMENT that Joe got buried in CEMENT."

Back 36

to express sorrow or regret. The song, "Cowboy's LAMENT," is a ballad about the lonely life of those who drive cattle for a living.

Front 37

Connoisseur (kahn uh SUR) (n.)
Link: KING OF SEWER.
"The KING OF the SEWER is a CONNOISSEUR of garbage.

Back 37

an expert, particularly in matters of art and taste.
My uncle is a connoisseur of fine wines.

Front 38

Evoke (EE voke)
Link: COKE
"Sometimes a song, a picture, even a COKE, can EVOKE the most poignant of youthful memories."

Back 38

To summon forth, call to mind, awaken, produce, suggest.
A clap of thunder and a flash of lightning over the old castle EVOKED dark spirits for the villagers who remember the night of the headless ghost.

Front 39

CUPIDITY (kyoo PID ih tee) n.
Link: CUPID
"CUPID with CUPIDITY."

Back 39

excessive greed, especially for money.
The thief's CUPIDITY was exceeded only by his ignorance.

Front 40

UBIQUITOUS (yoo BIK woh tus) adj.
LinK: Big As Us
"When you're as BIG AS US you feel UBIQUITOUS."

Back 40

The quality of being everywhere at the same time.
Computers were once rare, but today are more UBIQUITOUS than typewriters.

Front 41

ADROIT (ah DROIT) adj.
Link: DETROIT
"The auto workers of DETROIT are ADROIT at manufacturing automobiles."

Back 41

Skillful. Many fourth graders are more ADROIT on the computer than their parents.

Front 42

Fetter (FET ur) v.
Link: FEATHER
"A FETTERED FEATHER."

Back 42

to restrain; to hamper. The prisoners were FETTERED by shackles around their ankles.

Front 43

Exonerate (ig ZON er ate) v.
Link: HIS WAS HONOR WAS LATE
"HIS HONOR WAS too LATE to EXONERATE the innocent."

Back 43

to free from accusation or blame; to free from a responsibility or task. The judge EXONERATED the man after he proved his innocence.

Front 44

Mores (MAWR ayz) (n.)
Link: MORE A's
"Our educational MORES have it that the MORE A's a student makes, the better the education."

Back 44

cultural standards; moral attitudes.
According to Chinese MORES, it is considered polite ti belch at the table as a sign of appreciation.

Front 45

Doldrums (DOHL drums) (n)
Link: DOLL DRUMS
"All covered with dust, the DOLL DRUMS were in the DOLDRUMS."

Back 45

period or condition of depression or inactivity. Ever since Jackie's dog died, the little fellow has not touched his toys, moping around day after day in the DOLDRUMS.

Front 46

Throng n.
Link: SONG
"The THRONG broke into SONG."

Back 46

a large group of people gathered closely together. When the Pope visited the United States, an admiring THRONG gathered at every major city.

Front 47

EMULATE (IM u late) v
Link: Imitate
"Jimmy EMULATES his dad by IMITATING him."

Back 47

to attempt to equal or surpass.
Most people EMULATE those they most admire.

Front 48

INCITE (en SIGHT) (v.)
Link: FIGHT
"The pitcher's bean ball INCITED the batter to FIGHT."

Back 48

to arouse to fight. Waving a stick at Jerry's dog only INCITES him and increases the chance he will bite you.

Front 49

AUSTERE (aw STER) (adj.)
Link: STEER
"An AUSTERE STEER is no fun at a party."

Back 49

severely simple. The AUSTERITY of life in the village was understandable. Many were jobless and evidence of poverty was everywhere.

Front 50

PALPABLE (PAL pah bul) (adj.)
Link: PAL THE BULL
"Our PAL, THE BULL, is PALPABLE."

Back 50

capable of being touched or felt. The answer is as PALPABLE as the nose on your face.

Front 51

GREGARIOUS (gruh GAIR ee us) (adj)
Link: GREG HILARIOUS
"GREGARIOUS GREG was HILARIOUS."

Back 51

seeking and enjoying the company of others. sociable. Paige was so GREGARIOUS she hated to be alone.

Front 52

PIOUS (PI us) adj.
Link: PIE
"A PIOUS PIE."

Back 52

devout or virtuous. holy. Elizabeth PIOUSLY said her prayers every night before bed.

Front 53

PHILANTHROPY (fi LAN thruh pee) (n.)
Link: PHIL ANTHROPY
"PHIL ANTHROPY was a PHILANTHROPIST."

Back 53

the love of mankind. In the movie, Good Sam, Gary Cooper's character was PHILANTHROPIC, giving to anyone in need and keeping little for his own family.

Front 54

ESPOUSE (eh SPOWZ) v.
Link: SPOUSE
"Harold's SPOUSE ESPOUSED a large family."

Back 54

to adopt. I ESPOUSE the idea that we eat dessert before dinner.

Front 55

ETHEREAL (i THEER ee ul) adj.
Link: CEREAL
"ETHEREAL CEREAL."

Back 55

very light/ delicate/ heavenly. An ETHEREAL mist covered the hill in the morning.

Front 56

Amenable (ah MEE nuh bul) Adj.
Link: Mean Bull
"The matador tried to be amenable to the MEAN BULL."

Back 56

agreeable, responsible to authority. Jack was such a classy guy, always AMENABLE to any reasonable solution to a problem.

Front 57

CULPABLE (kuhl puh buhl) adj.
Origin: late 13c. coupable, from O.Fr, from culpa "crime, fault, blame."
Link: Culprit
"The CULPRIT is CULPABLE for the crime!"

Back 57

worthy of blame. Orleanna- in The Poisonwood Bible- must deal with her feelings of guilt, facing how she is partly CULPABLE for what befalls her family.

Front 58

PORTEND (por TEND) (v)
Link: POOR END
"His teacher PORTENDED that Billy would come to a POOR END."

Back 58

to warn as an omen. In ancient times a comet in the sky was considered a PORTENTOUS.

Front 59

CATHARSIS (kuh THAR sis)
Link: CATS AND HORSES
"CAT AND HORSE CATHARSIS."

Back 59

an emotional or psychological cleansing that brings relief or renewal. After Jeremy returned to the French WWII battlefield he had known fifty years before, he said he found the experience CATHARTIC.

Front 60

ABATE (ah BAIT) (v.)
Link: BAIT
"ABATED BAIT."

Back 60

to reduce. When the storm finally ABATED, we resumed our family picnic.

Front 61

INTREPID (in TREP id) (adj)
Link: TRIP ED
"Everyone considered David INTREPID after he TRIPPED ED, the bully, in the cafeteria."

Back 61

fearless; bold. The Green Berets have always been known for their INTREPIDITY.

Front 62

SURREPTITIOUS (sur ep TISH us) adj.
Link: SUSPICIOUS
"To escape from the circus, an elephant has to be SURREPTITIOUS without being SUSPICIOUS."

Back 62

done or acting in a secret, sly manner. Helen SURREPTITIOUSLY crept around the car, hoping to get the cat out from under it.

Front 63

FRAUGHT (fraught)
Link: CAUGHT
"Eric CAUGHT a boatload in a lake FRAUGHT with fish."

Back 63

teeming with;laden; full. The freighter was FRAUGHT with cargo.

Front 64

Erudite (ER yoo dyte)
Link: AIRTIGHT
"Knowing that his case was AIRTIGHT, the defense attorney became confident and ERUDITE."

Back 64

deeply learned, scholarly. The extent of Dr. Smith's library is an indication of his ERUDITION.

Front 65

BOLSTER (BOHL ster) (v.)
Link: HOLSTER
"Members BOLSTERED each other by wearing their HOLSTERS."

Back 65

to support, as in a group; to give a boost; n. a large pillow. The coach saw it was time to BOLSTER his team, so he gave them a pep talk.

Front 66

SURFEIT (SUR fit)
Link: SURFERS
" A SURFEIT of SURFERS is a sure path to disastrous surfboard accidents."

Back 66

an overabundant amount, especially overindulgence in eating and drinking. The beach store had a SURFEIT of bathing suits and last Saturday put on a bathing suit sale.